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Behçet’s Disease (BD) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcerations with uveitis. Clinical features are the only diagnostic and follow up parameters and there is no unique laboratory test to indicate both diagnosis and disease activity. We studied urinary neopterin levels by using high performance liquid chromatography in 21 consecutive patients with Behçet’s Disease in clinically active (n = 13) and inactive (n = 8) phase of the disease and in 14 healthy controls to investigate the correlation between this immunologic parameter and the disease status. In comparison to inactive phase, significantly higher urinary neopterin levels were found in active period (p

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Abstract Background Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is a rare disease characterized by the development of a fibroinflammatory mass in the retroperitoneum. Immunoglobulin-G4 related RPF was suggested as a secondary form of RPF and thought to be part of the spectrum of Immunoglobulin-G4 related diseases (IgG4-RD). Patients often present to the clinic because of flank pain. Ranging from mild to end-stage renal failure can be observed. The main purpose of treatment is to preserve renal function. As it is a rare condition, there is no definite treatment strategy. We report a case of 39-year-old man with left flank pain and diagnosis of IgG4-related RPF mimicking a renal pelvis tumor. Case presentation A 39-year-old male patient presented with left flank pain. MRI suggested solid retroperitoneal mass associated with hydronephrosis in the left kidney collecting system. Upon identifying the retroperitoneal origin of the mass during nephroureterectomy, the procedure was concluded following the acquisition of frozen section and routine pathological samples from the lesion. In the histopathological examination, inflammatory cells were observed and specific immunohistochemistry for IgG-4 was detected focally positive. Following the placement of a DJ stent, immunosuppressive therapy was initiated with Prednol and Azathioprine. After a one-year follow-up period, during which the patient received immunosuppressive treatment and underwent tri-monthly DJ stent replacements, the DJ stent was subsequently removed, revealing complete regression of hydronephrosis. Conclusions With the correct diagnosis and treatment of IgG4-related RPF, it is possible to prevent irreversible complications of the disease. Because it is a rare disease, case reports in the literature will be useful for treatment.

Environmental Turbulence (ET) refers to the uncertainty caused by unforeseen changes in a firm's external environment. Process Quality Management (PQM) is a sub-dimension of Total Quality Management (TQM). However, the literature has not examined the effects of ET on TQM and PQM applications. For firms that want to survive in a dynamic market structure, it is crucial to understand how sub-factors of ET (Market Turbulence (MT), Technological Turbulence (TT), and Competition Intensity (CI)) affect existing relations. We examined whether ET has a moderating or mediating effect on innovation, performance, and PQM. As a result of the study, we discovered that PQM has essential effects on reducing market turbulence and competition intensity.

This study aimed to adapt the "Organizational Social Entrepreneurship" scale to Turkish and to examine its psychometric properties. Following this purpose; It was tried to examine how accurately the scale measures (validity) and how consistent it is when measuring the structure (reliability). Within the scope of validity examinations, explanatory factor analysis was applied to the scale and then the suitability of the model was tested with confirmatory factor analysis. In the second step of the psychometric evaluation, the reliability evaluation was provided with the Cronbach Alpha coefficient, also known as the internal consistency coefficient. In the study, a questionnaire developed for the scale was applied to 305 employees working in various departments of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality. In the final evaluation, the scale is in the form of a 6-dimensional and 20-item structure according to the explanatory factor analysis. The total explained variance rate of the scale was calculated as 80.964% and the internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha) coefficient was calculated as α= 0.946. After the factors were determined by explanatory factor analysis, they were tested with confirmatory factor analysis to test their suitability for factor structures, and all factors were found to be statistically significant. As a result, the findings on the psychometric properties of the Organizational Social Entrepreneurship scale, which was adapted into Turkish, reveal that it can be applied as a reliable and valid tool in studies on social entrepreneurship activities of organizations.

In Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is important to evaluate disease activity and investigate possible biomarkers. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the relationship between disease activity and serum levels of possible immune activation marker neopterin in patients with COVID-19. The study enrolled 45 patients (23 females, 51.1%) treated for COVID-19. The patients were divided into two groups according to their clinical presentation: those who recovered quickly (Group 1) and those who worsened progressively (Group 2). The neopterin and C-reactive protein levels were high in all patients on admission. In Group 1, neopterin concentrations and serum neopterin/creatinine ratios were significantly higher on admission compared to Day 14 of the disease, whereas in Group 2, levels were significantly higher at Day 14 of the disease than on admission. Neopterin levels at admission were significantly higher in Group 1. The serum neopterin concentrations at admission were markedly higher in patients with a derived neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) > 2.8 compared to those with a dNLR ≤ 2.8 (p < 0.05). Serum neopterin levels can be used as a prognostic biomarker in predicting disease activity in COVID-19.

Background: Formal thought disorder (FTD) is considered to be a fundamental feature of schizophrenia. This study aims to analyze psychometric properties of the Turkish version of “Thought and Language Disorder Scale (TALD)” and investigate the relationship between FTD and various clinical characteristics in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: TALD was adapted into Turkish and applied to a total of 149 participants of which 114 had DSM-5 psychiatric diagnoses (schizophrenia N = 70, mania N = 20, depression N = 24) and 35 were healthy controls. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale, and Clinical Global Impression were administered to detect illness severity. Results: The principal component analyses revealed that the Turkish version of TALD (TALD-TR) consisted of four factors including the Objective Positive (OP), Subjective Negative (SN), Objective Negative (ON) and Subjective Positive (SP) symptom dimensions which were in line with the original TALD factorial structure. It was concluded that TALD-TR shows strong construct validity and high interrater reliability. The correlation analyses with TALD-TR and PANSS showed that there are positive correlations between the TALD-TR total score and the PANSS total and subscale scores. Each diagnostic group showed the distinct pattern of FTD. The mania group exhibited the highest mean total score in the OP, whereas the schizophrenia group exhibited the highest mean total score in the ON factor. In the schizophrenia group, the severity of FTD correlated positively with duration of illness and negatively with age at onset of illness. Conclusion: Adaptation of TALD into different languages seems to be possible, bringing in an international tool for research on FTD. Keywords: Formal thought disorder, Schizophrenia, Mania, Depression, Language processing

In this study, conformational analysis and quantum chemical calculations of ±1-(1H-Benzoimidazol-2-YL) Ethanol were carried out. The geometric structure, infrared intensities, UV-VIS spectrum, HOMO-LUMO energies, ¹H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shifts were calculated by using the density functional method (DFT/B3LYP) with 6-311++G(d,p) basis set. The vibrational studies were interpreted in terms of potential energy distribution (PED). Finally, calculated values were compared with the experimental ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To identify changes in knee joint cartilage transverse relaxation values depending on the patient's age and gender and to investigate the relationship between knee joint pathologies and the transverse relaxation time. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Knee MRI images of 107 symptomatic patients with various pathologic knee conditions were analyzed retrospectively. T2 values were measured at patellar cartilage, posteromedial and posterolateral femoral cartilage adjacent to the central horn of posterior meniscus. 963 measurements were done for 107 knees MRI. Relationship of T2 values with seven features including subarticular bone marrow edema, subarticular cysts, marginal osteophytes, anterior-posterior cruciate and collateral ligament tears, posterior medial and posterior lateral meniscal tears, synovial thickening and effusion were analyzed. T2 values in all three compartments were evaluated according to age and gender. RESULTS: A T2 value increase correlated with age was present in all three compartments measured in the subgroup with no knee joint pathology and in all patient groups. According to the ROC curve, an increase showing a statistically significant difference was present in the patient group aged over 40 compared to the patient group aged 40 and below in all patient groups. There is a statistically difference at T2 values with and without subarticular cysts, marginal osteophytes, synovial thickening and effusion. T2 relaxation time showed a statistically significant increase in the patients with a medial meniscus tear compared to those without a tear and no statistically significant difference was found in T2 relaxation times of patients with and without a posterior lateral meniscus tear. CONCLUSIONS: T2 cartilage mapping on MRI provides opportunity to exhibit biochemical and structural changes related with cartilage extra-cellular matrix without using invasive diagnostic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]