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ABSTRACTObjectivePeriodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome and familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) are autoinflammatory disorders typically characterized by recurrent fever attacks. These recurrent fever attacks can lead to depression and anxiety in mothers of these patients. This study aimed to compare the depression and anxiety levels in mothers of PFAPA and FMF patients.MethodsThis study is a cross-sectional observational study. 48 mothers of children with FMF and 70 mothers of children with PFAPA participated in the study. Mothers in these two groups were compared in terms of anxiety and depression by using the validated Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI).ResultsDepression and anxiety scores of mothers were found to be similar in FMF and PFAPA groups. Moderate or high level of anxiety was seen in 32% of mothers of patients with PFAPA and 27% of mothers of patients with FMF. 23% of mothers of patients with PFAPA were evaluated as having moderate or severe depression, and 18% of mothers of patients with FMF were evaluated as having moderate depression. There was no statistically significant difference between the duration, frequency of attacks, recurrent hospitalizations, sociodemographic characteristics, and inventory scores.ConclusionDepression and anxiety scores of mothers with children diagnosed with FMF and PFAPA are similar. These two diseases affect families psychosocially at similar levels. It is important to provide psychosocial support to families.

This cross‐sectional study aimed to evaluate salivary concentrations of macrophage activation‐related chemokines and mitogen‐activated kinase kinase (MAPKK)‐degrading proteolytic activity in children and adolescents with and without type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). A total of 122 children and adolescents (65 T1DM patients, 50.8% female, mean age:10.9 years; 57 systemically healthy controls, 36.8% female, mean age: 9.5 years) were included in the study. Salivary concentrations of interferon gamma inducible protein‐10 (IP‐10), monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)‐1, MCP‐2, MCP‐3, MCP‐4, macrophage‐derived chemokine (MDC), macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), monokine induced by interferon gamma (MIG), and macrophage inflammatory protein‐1 alpha (MIP‐1α) were quantified using a bead‐based technique. MAPKK‐degrading proteolytic activity was detected using fluorescent peptide substrates. The T1DM group had higher plaque index (PI%, p= 0.032) and bleeding on probing (BOP%, p= 0.045) scores, and lower decayed, missing, filled teeth (dmft/DMFT, p= 0.002) index scores compared to the healthy controls. Compared to the controls, salivary MCP‐1 (p= 0.007), MCP‐3 (p< 0.001), MIG (p= 0.007), and MIP‐1α (p= 0.033) concentrations were elevated whereas MCP‐4 concentrations decreased (p< 0.001) in the T1DM group. After adjusting for age, PI%, BOP%, and dmft/DMFT scores, significant differences in salivary concentrations of MIG (p= 0.033) and MIP‐1α (p= 0.017) were observed between the groups. Moreover, protease activities directed to the cleavage sites of MEK23‐18 (p= 0.001), MKK6b7‐22 (p= 0.007), MKK451‐66 (p= 0.005), MKK7b37‐52 (p= 0.034), and MKK7b69‐84 (p= 0.009) were elevated in the T1DM group. T1DM disrupts the salivary macrophage activation‐related chemokine profile and dysregulates proteolytic MAPKK cleavage. These findings can be an outcome of the impaired systemic immune response in T1DM.

ABSTRACTObjectiveOur aim in this study was to reveal the clinical features of pediatric uveitis in the pandemic period and to compare it with the pre-pandemic era.MethodsThis retrospective study included 187 children diagnosed with uveitis between the 11thof March 2017 and the 11thof March 2022. The patients were divided into two groups based on the date of diagnosis as follows; Group 1: Patients diagnosed in the pre-pandemic period (11thMarch 2017–11thMarch 2020); Group 2: Patients diagnosed in the pandemic period (12thMarch 2020–11thMarch 2022). Demographic data, characteristics of uveitis, underlying diseases, systemic treatment modalities, and complications were compared between the two groups.ResultsA total of 187 (pre-pandemic 71, and pandemic 114) pediatric uveitis patients were recruited to the study. Fifty one percent (51%) of the patients were female. The number of patients diagnosed with uveitis increased approximately twice during the pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic period. The frequency of anterior uveitis was found to be significantly higher in the pandemic period than in the pre-pandemic period (p = 0.037). It was mostly presented as symptomatic uveitis. There was a decrease in the diagnosis of JIA-related uveitis. ANA positivity increased in the pandemic period (p = 0.029). The response to treatment was better and the complication rate decreased in the pandemic period.ConclusionThe present study involved a large number of pediatric patients with uveitis. There are some differences in the characteristics of pediatric uveitis cases comparing the pandemic period and the pre-pandemic period. This increased frequency and changing clinical features of pediatric uveitis seems to be a result of COVID-19 infection.

ABSTRACTObjectivesWide spread availability of safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19 in all countries is the best hope to end the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in developing countries, the hesitancy of the society about vaccination is an important problem in terms of public health. This study aimed to investigate the acceptability and tolerability of COVID-19 vaccines in the pediatric population diagnosed with rheumatic disease, as well as the attitudes toward these vaccines.MethodsThis is an observational, cross sectional, single center study. Pediatric patients with at least one diagnosis of rheumatic disease were included in this study to investigate patient and family acceptability and safety of COVID-19 vaccines.ResultsA total of 228 patients with rheumatic disease were included in this study. Ninety nine (43.4%) of the patients were juvenile idiopathic arthritis. One hundred and five (46%) of the patients were using biological agent treatment for their rheumatic disease, whereas 123 (54%) of the patients were not. No serious adverse effect related to the COVID-19 vaccine were observed in any of the patients. No disease activation was observed in any of them.ConclusionThere are only a few studies evaluating of the safety and disease flare of COVID-19 vaccines in children with rheumatic disease. Although this study has some limitations, such as the small sample size of patients with different diagnoses, it appears that there is no increase in COVID-19 vaccination-related harms in the patients with rheumatic disease.

Background: Biomarkers are very important disease-related biomolecules which should be analyzed sensitive and selective in related physiological fluids or tissues. Tumor necrosis factor-α is a type of cytokine which plays vitlly important roles in different methabolic pathways such as cell death, survival, differentiation, proliferation and migration, and infectious and inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes. Objective: In this study, it was aimed to develop a reliable tool based on star-shaped poly(glycidyl methacrylate) polymer coated disposable indium tin oxide electrode for determination of Tumor necrosis factor-α, an important disease biomarker. Methods: Star shaped polymer was used as an interface material for anti- Tumor necrosis factor α antibodies immobilization. The antibodies were immobilized covalently onto polymer coated indium tin oxide electrode. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry techniques were used for all electrochemical measurements. Results: The suggested immunosensor exhibited a linear range between 0.02 and 4 pg/mL Tumor necrosis factor-α, and the detection limit was found as 6 fg/mL. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used for electrode surface characterization. In addition, the suggested immunosensor was used for Tumor necrosis factor-α sensing in human serum samples. The results displayed recoveries between 97.07 and 100.19%. Moreover, this immunosensor had a simple fabrication procedure and a long storage-stability. Conclusion: A new biosensor based on a Star shaped polymer for the ultra sensitive determination of a biomarker Tumor necrosis factor-α was developed. The biosensor presented excellent repeatability and reproducubility, and also wide calibration range for Tumor necrosis factor- α

Aim of the study:To evaluate the sonoelastic response of the median nerve in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome following conservative rehabilitation with splint plus exercise regimens. Materials and methods:A total of thirty-five patients diagnosed with mild carpal tunnel syndrome and treated with splint plus exercise therapy; hand resting splint all day for 3 weeks and then only at nights along with nerve gliding exercises in 10 repetitions 3 times a day. The median nerve was evaluated clinically prior to the treatment and at week 6 of therapy using physical examination, electrodiagnostic neurophysiology tests and radiological imaging; Boston Scores, electromyogram, ultrasonography and sonoelastography. Results:Following the 6-week treatment protocol on 35 subjects with mild carpal tunnel syndrome, sonoelastography showed significantly softer median nerve, while the traditional parameters based on Boston Scores and cross-sectional area based on ultrasonography remained nearly unresponsive. Such early indication of biomechanical changes in the nerve may be of clinical importance if it can offer a prognostic value of the applied treatment, while tissue softening suggests the alleviation of nerve compression. Conclusions:Sonoelasticity of the median nerve can serve as a reliable marker for assessing therapeutic changes in median nerve stiffness and potentially the outcome early on in mild carpal tunnel syndrome.

Graphical AbstractForty-two adult rats were equally divided into 7 groups. Animals in sham, sepsis, S + B50, and S + B100 were deep anesthetized (1) and the rats in sepsis, S + B50, and S + B100 groups were exposed to CLP surgery (2), and the S + B50, and S + B100 groups received baicalein 1, 6, and 12 h post-surgery (3). The animals in B50 + S and B100 + S received baicalein for seven days (4) before deep anesthesia (5) and CLP surgery (6). All animals in pre (7), and post (8) treatment groups were euthanized and lung tissues were used (9) for biochemical, immunohistochemical, and ELISA Analyses (10). CLP surgery resulted with upregulation of oxidative stress and inflammation (11). Both pre and post-treatments were beneficial, and pre-treatment was more successful with regulatory activity of NF-κB signaling.

Background: The determination of drugs in pharmaceutical formulations and human biologic fluids is important for pharmaceutical and medical sciences. Successful analysis requires low sensitivity, high selectivity and minimum interference effects. Current analytical methods can detect drugs at very low levels but these methods require long sample preparation steps, extraction prior to analysis, highly trained technical staff and high-cost instruments. Biosensors offer several advantages such as short analysis time, high sensitivity, real-time analysis, low-cost instruments, and short pretreatment steps over traditional techniques. Biosensors allow quantification not only of the active component in pharmaceutical formulations, but also the degradation products and metabolites in biological fluids. The present review gives comprehensive information on the application of biosensors for drug discovery and analysis. Moreover, this review focuses on the fabrication of these biosensors. Methods: Biosensors can be classified as the utilized bioreceptor and the signal transduction mechanism. The classification based on signal transductions includes electrochemical optical, thermal or acoustic. Electrochemical and optic transducers are mostly utilized transducers used for drug analysis. There are many biological recognition elements, such as enzymes, antibodies, cells that have been used in fabricating of biosensors. Aptamers and antibodies are the most widely used recognition elements for the screening of the drugs. Electrochemical sensors and biosensors have several advantages such as low detection limits, a wide linear response range, good stability and reproducibility. Optical biosensors have several advantages such as direct, real-time and label-free detection of many biological and chemical substances, high specificity, sensitivity, small size and low cost. Modified electrodes enhance sensitivity of the electrodes to develop a new biosensor with desired features. Chemically modified electrodes have gained attention in drug analysis owing to low background current, wide potential window range, simple surface renewal, low detection limit and low cost. Modified electrodes produced by modifying of a solid surface electrode via different materials (carbonaceous materials, metal nanoparticles, polymer, biomolecules) immobilization. Recent advances in nanotechnology offer opportunities to design and construct biosensors. Unique features of nanomaterials provide many advantages in the fabrication of biosensors. Nanomaterials have controllable chemical structures, large surface to volume ratios, functional groups on their surface. To develop proteininorganic hybrid nanomaterials, four preparation methods have been used. These methods are immobilization, conjugation, crosslinking and self-assembly. In the present manuscript, applications of different biosensors, fabricated by using several materials, for drug analysis are reviewed. The biosensing strategies are investigated and discussed in detail. Results: Several analytical techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopy, radiometry, immunoassays and electrochemistry have been used for drug analysis and quantification. Methods based on chromatography require timeconsuming procedure, long sample-preparation steps, expensive instruments and trained staff. Compared to chromatographic methods, immunoassays have simple protocols and lower cost. Electrochemical measurements have many advantages over traditional chemical analyses and give information about drug quantity, metabolic fate of drugs, and pharmacological activity. Moreover, the electroanalytical methods are useful to determine drugs sensitively and selectivity. Additionally, these methods decrease analysis cost and require low-cost instruments and simple sample pretreatment steps. Conclusion: In recent years, drug analyses are performed using traditional techniques. These techniques have a good detection limit, but they have some limitations such as long analysis time, expensive device and experienced personnel requirement. Increased demand for practical and low-cost analytical techniques biosensor has gained interest for drug determinations in medical sciences. Biosensors are unique and successful devices when compared to traditional techniques. For drug determination, different electrode modification materials and different biorecognition elements are used for biosensor construction. Several biosensor construction strategies have been developed to enhance the biosensor performance. With the considerable progress in electrode surface modification, promotes the selectivity of the biosensor, decreases the production cost and provides miniaturization. In the next years, advances in technology will provide low cost, sensitive, selective biosensors for drug analysis in drug formulations and biological samples.

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A espondilite anquilosante (EA) é uma doença reumática inflamatória crônica caracterizada pela inflamação da pelve e da coluna vertebral, que resulta em uma restrição na mobilidade da coluna vertebral. Em decorrência da postura alterada e da dor inflamatória noturna, os distúrbios do sono são passíveis de ocorrer em pacientes com EA.

This study presents discussions on sustainability of Virtual and Remote Laboratories (VRL), and provides challenges toward maintenance of VRLs. Technical and pedagogical issues in extension and sustenance of VRLs are discussed with the experiences of the authors gained in the development of a VRL system, European Remote Radio Laboratory (ERRL) platform. Moreover, the study presents actions to be taken in sustenance plan and expendability of VRL system with the advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and educational technologies along with the needs of educators and learners in formal education.