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Despite advances in medical technologies, Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) continues to be a problem for neonatal intensive care units. Analysis of crying sounds may be a valuable tool for predicting neonatal disease. However, the characteristics of crying in newborns with HIE are still unclear. One of the factors limiting the ability to focus on that subject is the lack of commercially available infant cry database for research. Also, another reason that complicates the classification is the varying characteristics of infant cry. Accordingly, crying sounds were recorded from 35 infants and demographic characteristics of the study groups are presented as well as the numerical representation of spectral features. Experiments reveal that the existence of HIE causes distinctive variation in energy, energy entropy and spectral centroid features of the utterances; which leads us to conclude that the presented combination of spectral features would function well with any supervised or unsupervised machine learning algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims at investigating the combustion characteristics of methane and a hydrogen-rich fuel on distributed regime in a combustor with high internal recirculation as distributed regime can achieve with highly internal entrainment. The model validation was first taken place with the existing experimental results under non-reacting conditions, and it is demonstrated that the mean velocity profiles predicted are in satisfactorily good agreement with the existing data in the combustor. Then, the methane and the hydrogen-rich fuel were consumed at an equivalence ratio of 0.8 and a thermal power of 10 kW under distributed conditions which means that oxygen concentration in the oxidizer is reduced from 21% to 15% along with internal entrainment for each fuel used. The results showed that the velocity magnitudes increased in the combustor with decrease in oxygen concentration because of diluent introduction. Moreover, distributed regime enabled uniformly temperature field inside the combustor together with the ultra-low NO X values with introducing the diluent. In addition, one can say that the maximum temperature and the outlet NO X values (1800 K and 27.60 ppm at 21% O 2 – 1450 K and 0.05 ppm at 15% O 2 for methane, 2000 K and 32.47 ppm at 21% O 2 – 1700 K and 0.19 ppm at 15% O 2 for the hydrogen-rich fuel) were relatively higher while combusting the hydrogen-rich fuel compared to those of methane due to the presence of hydrogen. However, It is concluded that distributed regime provided uniformly temperature fields and ultra-low NO X levels even the hydrogen-rich fuel is used. • Colorless distributed combustion was investigated using a recirculative combustor. • External/internal recirculation zones were obtained in the combustor. • Velocity profiles were highly affected with highly internal recirculation. • More uniform thermal fields and ultra-low NO X emissions were achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken to produce the lipase by free and immobilized cells of cold-adapted yeast Rhodotorula glutinis HL25 using waste frying oils as substrate. The optimization of culture parameters was performed using traditional one-factor-at-a-time protocol. The temperature 20 °C and initial pH 6.0 were optimal for lipase production by both free and immobilized cells. An inoculum size of 40 mL/L for free cells and beads number of 150 g/L for immobilized cells were optimal for lipase production. Optimal waste frying oil concentration and incubation time were 30 mL/L and 84 h for free cells but 40 mL/L and 72 h for immobilized cells, respectively. The maximum increases for free and immobilized cells were achieved at the Triton X-100 concentrations of 5 and 7.5 mL/L, respectively. The maximum lipase activities were determined as 54.4 and 75.2 U/L for free and immobilized cells, respectively. Immobilized cells could be used in five successive reaction cycles without any loss in the maximum activity. Immobilized cells could retained about 70% of their maximum activity by the end of the cycle 10. This is the first attempt on lipase production potential of a cold-adapted strain of the yeast R. glutinis . Furthermore, lipase production using immobilized cells of cold-adapted yeasts was investigated for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare doxorubicin-loaded HepaSphere transarterial chemoembolization versus conventional transarterial chemoembolization in terms of survival, time to recurrence, acute reversible hepatotoxicity, postembolization syndrome, and chemoembolization-related mortality and morbidity.Materials and Methods: One hundred twenty-six patients (103 men, 23 women; mean age, 64.3 y) with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent conventional chemoembolization between January 2007 and March 2011 or drug-eluting embolic (DEE) chemoembolization (after the protocol change) between March 2011 and October 2014 were included in a retrospective analysis. Primary outcome measures were survival and time to recurrence. Secondary outcome measures were frequency of recurrence, technical success, acute reversible hepatotoxicity, postembolization syndrome, and chemoembolization-related mortality and morbidity.Results: The technical success rate was 97.1%. There were no significant differences between the conventional and DEE chemoembolization groups with regard to mean survival duration (39.0 vs 37.4 mo), recurrence (32.9% vs 39.6%), postembolization syndrome (90% vs 89%), and chemoembolization-related mortality (5.5% vs 1.9%) and morbidity (9.6% vs 9.4%; P > .05). The time to recurrence was shorter in DEE chemoembolization-treated patients than in conventional chemoembolization-treated patients (5.0 vs 11.5 mo; P = .006), and acute reversible hepatotoxicity occurred more frequently after conventional chemoembolization (P = .019).Conclusions: Conventional chemoembolization and DEE chemoembolization were safe and effective interventions for unresectable HCC. DEE chemoembolization was not better than conventional chemoembolization in terms of survival and was associated with a shorter time to recurrence. Acute reversible hepatotoxicity occurred more frequently after conventional chemoembolization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze the long-term results of endovascular treatment of large pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) using the AMPLATZER vascular plug (AVP; AGA Medical Corp, Golden Valley, Minnesota). Materials and Methods: Between May 2007 and April 2011, 18 patients with 24 large PAVMs, defined as PAVMs that had a feeding artery with a diameter of ≥ 8 mm, were treated with AVP I or AVP II. A single AVP device was used for each PAVM. Aneurysmal sac diameters, sac perfusion, sac shrinkage, and complete resolution before and after the intervention were analyzed. Complete histories, laboratory values, physical examinations, and multidetector computed tomography images were reviewed. The mean occlusion time for AVP I and AVP II and the mean arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) before and after the intervention were compared. Results: The mean diameter of the feeding artery was 11.46 mm ± 2.18 (range, 8-13.3 mm). The mean occlusion time was 7.34 minutes ± 1.23 for AVP I and 6.25 minutes ± 1.12 for AVP II (P = .11). The mean SaO2 before and after the intervention was 63.71% ± 8.10% (range, 51%-76%) and 96.28% ± 0.49% (range, 96%-97%), respectively (P = .045). No major periprocedural complications were observed. The mean follow-up duration was 36.33 months ± 10.63 (range, 28-56 mo). During the follow-up period, there were no persistent sac perfusions, migration of the AVPs, major complications, or recanalizations. Conclusions: Treatment of large PAVMs with AVPs is an effective method for obtaining excellent long-term results. Embolization of large feeding arteries can be accomplished with AVPs without major complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this study, a novel echocardiographic parameter in the evaluation of the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and aortic stiffness, aortic propagation velocity, was measured and compared with other conventional aortic stiffness parameters such as aortic strain and aortic distensibility. Also, the relation between aortic propagation velocity and carotid intima media thickness was evaluated. Method and results: A total of 51 patients with CAD and 42 patients with normal coronary arteries as a non-CAD group were included in the study. Aortic propagation velocity was significantly lower in the CAD group (p < 0.001). A statistically significant relation was detected between aortic propagation velocity and the maximum, mean, and overall carotid intima media thickness values for right and left carotid arteries (p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant relation between aortic propagation velocity, aortic strain, and aortic distensibility (r = 0.556, p < 0.001 and r = 0.483, p < 0.001 respectively). Conclusion: Aortic propagation velocity is a novel and simple echocardiographic parameter of aortic stiffness which is feasible for non invasive cardiovascular risk stratification and selection of high risk individuals for CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the diagnoses of the infants who were admitted to our outpatient clinic with the complaint of pulling on the ear and to identify the related factors which may contribute to the diagnosis.Methods: This prospective study included a total of 102 infants who were admitted to our hospital with the complaint of tugging and pulling on, touching, and rubbing the ears on the shoulder or pillow and shaking the head between July 2016 and July 2017. The complaints were evaluated throughout the day, and the application seasons, the person referred the patient to the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist, the child development specialist and child psychiatrist, allergy and atopy histories, and the relationship between the results and diagnoses were evaluated.Results: 46.1% of the patients had normal examination findings, while the second most common finding was cerumen in 37.2%, and the third one was otitis media with effusion (OME) in 16.7%. In infants who were directly referred by the family, normal and serological diagnosis were found to be statistically significantly higher than that of OME diagnosis, whereas in the infants referred by the family physicians and pediatrist, the OME was found to be statistically significantly higher than normal and cerumen levels. The presence of additional complaints in the OME group was found to be higher than normal and cerumen group. In those with complaints during the day, the most common finding was OME, while it was cerumen in those with complaints a few times in a day and normal examination finding in those tugging on their ears only, when they were falling asleep, indicating statistical significance. Of 47 infants with normal physical examination findings, 37 were assessed by the child psychiatrist, and depression was found in six of one of the parents during the family interviews.Conclusion: In this study, the majority of the infants referred to the ENT outpatient clinic had normal examination findings, while the rate of OME diagnosis was high. Considering the negative consequences of EOM in infants, the diagnosis of the EOM becomes extremely important. If there are no otologic pathologies in the majority of infants who were admitted with ear pulling and tugging, the possibility of different factors in etiology gives rise to thought. Therefore, further studies are required to prove this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]