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TRAIL, a member of the TNF family, is expressed in tumor and tumor surrounding tissue in many solid organ cancers. While the induction of tumor-specific apoptosis in correlation with cytokine stimulation may cause anti-tumoral effects, the pro-tumorigenic effects of its expression by tumor surrounding tissue members have been reported in the literature. In our study, it was aimed to evaluate the effect of the gene variant of TRAIL on soluble levels in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) on the molecular pathological axis. TRAIL C1595 gene variant PCR–RFLP and sTRAIL levels were determined by ELISA in age and sex adjusted CRC and control groups. It was determined that CT carriage was high in patients without perineural invasion and sTRAIL levels were approximately 2.72 times lower than CC in patients with CT in this group (p < 0.05). Similarly, sTRAIL level was found to be high in patients with CC genotype in CRC without lymph node metastas. It was determined that CT carriage was high in patients without perineural invasion and sTRAIL levels were approximately 2.49 times lower than CC in patients with CT in this group.is (p < 0.05). We think that TRAIL C1595T in CRC can change sTRAIL levels in the clinicopathological axis in advanced stages such as metastasis and invasion, but both are not independent risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nonlinear system, exhibiting a unique asymptotic behaviour, while being continuously subject to a stimulus from a certain class, is said to suffer from fading memory. This interesting phenomenon was first uncovered in a non-volatile tantalum oxide-based memristor from Hewlett Packard Labs back in 2016 out of a deep numerical investigation of a predictive mathematical description, known as the Strachan model, later corroborated by experimental validation. It was then found out that fading memory is ubiquitous in non-volatile resistance switching memories. A nonlinear system may however also exhibit a local form of fading memory, in case, under an excitation from a given family, it may approach one of a number of distinct attractors, depending upon the initial condition. A recent bifurcation study of the Strachan model revealed how, under specific train stimuli, composed of two square pulses of opposite polarity per cycle, the simplest form of local fading memory affects the transient dynamics of the aforementioned Resistive Random Access Memory cell, which, would asymptotically act as a bistable oscillator. In this manuscript we propose an analytical methodology, based on the application of analysis tools from Nonlinear System Theory to the Strachan model, to craft the properties of a generalised pulse train stimulus in such a way to induce the emergence of complex local fading memory effects in the nano-device, which would consequently display an interesting tuneable multistable oscillatory response, around desired resistance states. The last part of the manuscript discusses a case study, shedding light on a potential application of the local history erase effects, induced in the device via pulse train stimulation, for compensating the unwanted yet unavoidable drifts in its resistance state under power off conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death for women worldwide, and detecting cancer at an early stage increases the survival rate by 97%. In this study, a novel textile-based ultrawideband (UWB) microstrip patch antenna was designed and modeled to work in the 2–11.6 GHz frequency range and a simulation was used to test its performance in early breast cancer detection. The antenna was designed with an overall size of 31*31 mm 2 using a denim substrate and 100% metal polyamide-based fabric with copper, silver, and nickel to provide comfort for the wearer. The designed antenna was tested in four numerical breast models. The models ranged from simple tumor-free to complex models with small tumors. The size, structure, and position of the tumor were modified to test the suggested ability of the antenna to detect cancers with different shapes, sizes, and positions. The specific absorption rate (SAR), return loss (S11), and voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) were calculated for each model to measure the antenna performance. The simulation results showed that SAR values were between 1.6 and 2 W/g (10 g SAR) and were within the allowed range for medical applications. Additionally, the VSWR remained in an acceptable range from 1.15 to 2. Depending on the size and location of the tumor, the antenna return losses of the four models ranged from - 36 to - 18.5 dB. The effect of bending was tested to determine the flexibility. The antenna proved to be highly effective and capable of detecting small tumors with diameters of up to 2 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conduct a thorough exploration of the magnetic flows and physical dynamics exhibited by point charged particles in three-dimensional ordinary space. Our methodology is grounded in the application of conformable methods. Initially, we refine the general treatment to derive velocity and acceleration vector fields for point particles traversing conformable curves under the influence of distinct force fields. Subsequently, our inquiry extends into the realm of magnetism, where we investigate various types of dynamical magnetic curves that emerge from characterizing the movement of charged particles along conformable curves. In addition to this, we introduce the Fermi–Walker conformable derivative and provide an alternative representation for a unit-speed conformable curve by leveraging the Fermi–Walker connection. Throughout the entirety of the paper, we establish a meaningful correlation between the consistent motion of conformable charged particles and the trajectories dictated by specific external forces within the α -Frenet–Serret frame. The application of fractional calculus plays a pivotal role in our investigations, a facet we meticulously delve into in the paper. This work significantly contributes to an enhanced comprehension of magnetic phenomena and dynamics, offering valuable insights into the behavior of charged particles within conformable frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the inner-city transportation modes and rank them according to some predetermined criteria for the city of Bursa. The Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) method, a Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method, was used to create a general ranking for the modes of vehicles operating within the city. A total of seven criteria that affect the choice of transportation type were considered in this study. These are price, prestige, comfort, timely arrival, safety, ease of payment, and courtesy. A group of experts was consulted to determine the importance of these criteria. Safety, on-time arrival, and courtesy were the most critical factors for this analysis. Four modes, UBER, taxi, minibus, and bus, were used as alternative transportation modes. The AHP method was used to estimate weighted average scores of seven criteria for four-mode alternatives. The AHP analysis results indicate that the most preferred inner-city transportation alternative is UBER, followed by taxi, bus, and minibus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the predictable parameters associated with downgrading in patients with a Gleason score (GS) 8 (4+4) in prostate biopsy after radical prostatectomy. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 62 patients with a GS of 4+4 on prostate biopsy who underwent robotic radical prostatectomy between 2017 and 2022. Results: 38 of 62 (61.2%) were downgraded. In multivariable logistic regression model, Ga-68 prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron-emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) SUV max was independent predictor of downgrading (OR 0.904; p = 0.011) and a Logistic Regression model was constructed using the following formula: Y = 1.465–0.95 (PSMA PET/CT SUV max). The model using this variable correctly predicted the downgrading in 72.6% of patients. The AUC for PSMA PET/CT SUV max was 0.709 the cut off being 8.8. A subgroup analysis was performed in 37 patients who had no other European Association of Urology (EAU) high risk features. 25 out of 37 (67.5%) were downgraded, and 21 of these 25 had organ confined disease. Low PSMA SUV max (<8.1) and percentage of GS 4+4 biopsy cores to cancer bearing cores (45.0%) were independently associated with downgrading to GS 7. Conclusion: PSMA PET/CT can be used to predict downgrading in patients with GS 4+4 PCa. Patients with GS 4+4 disease, but no other EAU high risk features, low percentage of GS 4+4 biopsy cores to cancer bearing cores, and a low PSMA PET/CT SUV max are associated with a high likelihood of the cancer reclassification to intermediate risk group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Inborn errors of IFN-γ immunity underlie Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial disease (MSMD). Twenty-two genes with products involved in the production of, or response to, IFN-γ and variants of which underlie MSMD have been identified. However, pathogenic variants of IFNG encoding a defective IFN-γ have been described in only two siblings, who both underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCST). Methods: We characterized a new patient with MSMD by genetic, immunological, and clinical means. Therapeutic decisions were taken on the basis of these findings. Results: The patient was born to consanguineous Turkish parents and developed bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) disease following vaccination at birth. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a homozygous private IFNG variant (c.224 T > C, p.F75S). Upon overexpression in recipient cells or constitutive expression in the patient's cells, the mutant IFN-γ was produced within the cells but was not correctly folded or secreted. The patient was treated for 6 months with two or three antimycobacterial drugs only and then for 30 months with subcutaneous recombinant IFN-γ1b plus two antimycobacterial drugs. Treatment with IFN-γ1b finally normalized all biological parameters. The patient presented no recurrence of mycobacterial disease or other related infectious diseases. The treatment was well tolerated, without the production of detectable autoantibodies against IFN-γ. Conclusion: We describe a patient with a new form of autosomal recessive IFN-γ deficiency, with intracellular, but not extracellular IFN-γ. IFN-γ1b treatment appears to have been beneficial in this patient, with no recurrence of mycobacterial infection over a period of more than 30 months. This targeted treatment provides an alternative to HCST in patients with complete IFN-γ deficiency or at least an option to better control mycobacterial infection prior to HCST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is given a characterization of being a matrix Q g (a 3 , b 3) (k) of linear combination of a matrix Q g (a 1 , b 1) (n) and a matrix Q g (a 2 , b 2) (m) , where a i , b i ∈ R ∗ , i = 1 , 2 , 3 , m , n , k ∈ Z , and Q g (a , b) (l) denotes an (a, b)-generalized Fibonacci Q-matrix with l ∈ Z . In addition, some examples are presented illustrating the main result. Finally, some applications of the main result obtained are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is the preferred method for renal support in critically ill and hemodynamically unstable children in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) as it allows for gentle removal of fluids and solutes. The most frequent indications for CRRT include acute kidney injury (AKI) and fluid overload (FO) as well as non-renal indications such as removal of toxic metabolites in acute liver failure, inborn errors of metabolism, and intoxications and removal of inflammatory mediators in sepsis. AKI and/or FO are common in critically ill children and their presence is associated with worse outcomes. Therefore, early recognition of AKI and FO is important and timely transfer of patients who might require CRRT to a center with institutional expertise should be considered. Although CRRT has been increasingly used in the critical care setting, due to the lack of standardized recommendations, wide practice variations exist regarding the main aspects of CRRT application in critically ill children. Conclusion: In this review, from the Critical Care Nephrology section of the European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care (ESPNIC), we summarize the key aspects of CRRT delivery and highlight the importance of adequate follow up among AKI survivors which might be of relevance for the general pediatric community. What is Known: • CRRT is the preferred method of renal support in critically ill and hemodynamically unstable children in the PICU as it allows for gentle removal of fluids and solutes. • Although CRRT has become an important and integral part of modern pediatric critical care, wide practice variations exist in all aspects of CRRT. What is New: • Given the lack of literature on guidance for a general pediatrician on when to refer a child for CRRT, we recommend timely transfer to a center with institutional expertise in CRRT, as both worsening AKI and FO have been associated with increased mortality. • Adequate follow-up of PICU patients with AKI and CRRT is highlighted as recent findings demonstrate that these children are at increased risk for adverse long-term outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to define potentially toxic element (PTE) concentrations, their pollution levels, their ecological risks, and the human health risks of Çoruh River sediments in Bayburt (NE Turkey). The sediment samples were analyzed through inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The concentrations (mg/kg) of Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Pb, Cr, and Hg varied within 243.6–1134.3, 23.7–178.6, 33.0–52.0, 8.5–38.8, 4.0–7.7, 1.27–7.17, and 0.02–0.10 in the sediments, respectively. According to various geochemical indices, such as the geo-accumulation index, pollution index, pollution load index, and enrichment factor, the sediments were unpolluted by Cr, Zn, Pb, and Hg, and these elements were not enriched in the sediments. By contrast, the sediments were generally moderately polluted—very strongly polluted by Cu, As, and Ni, and these elements were moderately enriched—extremely enriched in the sediments. The results of the ecological risk factor for Ni, As, Cu, and Hg ranged from a low to a high potential ecological risk (RI). The RI values revealed that the investigated area was in a high-risk condition because the corresponding RI value was greater than 150. The outcomes of the modified hazardous quotients demonstrated that Ni, As, and Cu would pose an important health risk if humans were exposed to the sediments and could be hazardous to aquatic animals in Çoruh River. The hazard quotient for ingestion and the hazard index of As for children more than a year old in the high-intensity residential area indicated that As would pose an important health risk if children were exposed to the sediments. Pearson's correlation matrix and principal component analyses showed that the accumulation of PTEs in Çoruh River's sediments was related to anthropogenic and geological sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Immunodeficiency with centromeric instability and facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive combined immunodeficiency. The detailed immune responses are not explored widely. We investigated known and novel immune alterations in lymphocyte subpopulations and their association with clinical symptoms in a well-defined ICF cohort. Methods: We recruited the clinical findings from twelve ICF1 and ICF2 patients. We performed detailed immunological evaluation, including lymphocyte subset analyses, upregulation, and proliferation of T cells. We also determined the frequency of circulating T follicular helper (cTFH) and regulatory T (Treg) cells and their subtypes by flow cytometry. Results: There were ten ICF1 and two ICF2 patients. We identified two novel homozygous missense mutations in the ZBTB24 gene. Respiratory tract infections were the most common recurrent infections among the patients. Gastrointestinal system (GIS) involvements were observed in seven patients. All patients received intravenous immunoglobulin replacement therapy and antibacterial prophylaxis; two died during the follow-up period. Immunologically, CD4+ T-cell counts, percentages of recent thymic emigrant T cells, and naive CD4+ T decreased in two, five, and four patients, respectively. Impaired T-cell proliferation and reduced CD25 upregulation were detected in all patients. These changes were more prominent in CD8+ T cells. GIS involvements negatively correlated with CD3+ T-, CD3+CD4+ T-, CD16+CD56+ NK-cell counts, and CD4+/CD8+ T-cell ratios. Further, we observed expanded cTFH cells and reduced Treg and follicular regulatory T cells with a skewing to a TH2-like phenotype in all tested subpopulations. Conclusion: The ICF syndrome encompasses various manifestations affecting multiple end organs. Perturbed T-cell responses with increased cTFH and decreased Treg cells may provide further insight into the immune aberrations observed in ICF syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper primarily focuses on the development of a novel category of magnetic curves. While we explore conventional techniques, viewing these curves through a geometric lens and considering the electromagnetic principles of physics, our emphasis shifts towards investigating integrability conditions and solitonic behaviors. Consequently, we introduce diverse varieties of hybrid magnetic curves linked to the modified non-linear Schrödinger (mNLS) equation within the context of three-dimensional Minkowski space. We also scrutinize alterations in energy distribution and the pseudo-parallel transport of magnetic and electric vector lines associated with flows, enabling the construction of a new class of hybrid magnetic soliton surfaces. Finally, we employ the conformable fractional method to derive specific solution families for these integrable systems, presenting them visually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive combined immunodeficiency. The phenotype is profound T cell deficiency with variable B and NK cell functions and results in recurrent and persistent infections that typically begin in the first year of life. Neurologic findings occur in approximately two-thirds of patients. The mechanism of neurologic abnormalities is unclear. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only curative treatment for PNP deficiency. Methods: We report here six patients from five unrelated families with PNP deficiency treated in two centers in Turkey. We evaluated the neurological status of patients and compared to post-transplantation period if available. Then, we performed PubMed, Google Scholar, and Researchgate searches using the terms "PNP" and "hematopoietic stem cell transplantation" to find all reported cases of PNP transplantation and compared to our cohort. Results: Six patients were treated in two centers in Turkey. One patient died from post-transplant complications. The other four patients underwent successful HSCT with good immune reconstitution after transplantation (follow-up 21–48 months) and good neurological outcomes. The other patient with a new mutation is still waiting for a matching HLA donor. Discussion: In PNP deficiency, clinical manifestations are variable, and this disease should be considered in the presence of many different clinical findings. Despite the comorbidities that occurred before transplantation, HSCT currently appears to be the only treatment option for this disease. HSCT not only cures immunologic disorders, but probably also improves or at least stabilizes the neurologic status of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using fractional differential geometry, we define different types of conformable magnetic curves to discuss some geometric features of the motion of the charged particle when its geometry is induced by the conformable fractional derivative. We obtain the non-stretching motions and the inextensibility conditions of the conformable curves to focus on their evolutions. Then, as a special case, we obtain the time evolution of the Frenet–Serret vectors of the conformable curves with respect to the optical ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic cases. Finally, we focus on the time evolution of conformable curves under the case of the optical ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic conditions to investigate how the anholonomy density is associated with the magnetic flux flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Aerosols formed during dental treatments have a huge risk for the spread of bacteria and viruses. This study is aimed at determining which part of the working area and at what size aerosol is formed and ensuring more effective use of HEPA-filtered devices. Materials and methods: Anterior tooth preparation was performed by one dentist with one patient. Particle measurements were made using an airborne particle counter and were taken at four different locations: the chest of the patient, the chest of the dentist, the center of the room, and near the window. Three groups were determined for this study: group 1: measurement in a 24-h ventilated room (before the tooth preparation, empty room), group 2: measurement with the use of saliva ejector (SE), and group 3: measurement with the use of saliva ejector and HEPA-filtered extra-oral suction (HEOS) unit. Results: The particles generated during tooth preparation were separated according to their sizes; the concentration in different locations of the room and the efficiency of the HEOS unit were examined. Conclusions: The present study showed that as the particle size increases, the rate of spread away from the dentist's working area decreases. The HEPA-filtered extra-oral suction unit is more effective on particles smaller than 0.5 microns. Therefore, infection control methods should be arranged according to these results. Clinical relevance: The effective and accurate use of HEPA-filtered devices in clinics significantly reduces the spread of bacterial and viral infections and cross-infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red clover, a perennial forage legume, is globally significant because of its high nutritional value and nitrogen fixation capacity. However, one of the disadvantages of red clover is its sensitivity to salinity conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the PopW pre-treatment on physiological and molecular responses of red clover under salinity stress conditions. Different salinity levels (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210 mM NaCl) were applied to the red clover plants. The results indicated that the PopW pre-treated plants had lower yield/quality losses, and better physiological state than the non-pretreated ones under salinity stress. The PopW pre-treatment enabled to maintain K, Na, and Ca contents in red clover plants under all salinity stress levels, compared to non-pretreated ones (p < 0.01). Moreover, after salinity stress treatment, the increased levels of GR, SOD, crude protein rate, IAA, GA, ABA, JA, stress-related genes and decreased levels of leaf senescence genes were determined in the PopW pre-treated plants, compared to non-pretreated ones (p < 0.01). The findings indicate that endogenous hormone content changes and modulation of stress-related and leaf senescence genes played significant preventive roles against salt stress conditions in the PopW pre-treated red clover plants. The results of this study suggest that the PopW pre-treatment could be utilized for marginal areas having salinity problems in red clover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The release of azo dyes from industrial effluents is a serious environmental concern because of their colors and unfavorable impact on water quality. One method for combating their release is biological degradation. In this study, the potential of a newly isolated Bacillus sp. SBT8 strain for the decolorization and degradation of Reactive Orange 13 (RO13) was investigated. Conditions favorable for decolorization including temperature (25–42 °C), pH (5.0–10.0), culture age (0–24 h), and dye concentration (25–200 mg/L) were determined. Adding RO13 during the mid-exponential phase (8 h following inoculation) accelerated the rate of decolorization. Efficient decolorization was observed in broad pH (6.0–10.0) and temperature (25–35 °C) ranges with the optima at pH 7.0 and 33 °C, respectively. A complete decolorization was observed at pH 7.0, 35 °C, and 25 mg/L dye concentration in 48 h. Increased dye concentrations (over 100 mg/L) had inhibitory effects on the degradation of dye as measured after 48 h: 25, 50, and 100 mg/L dye concentrations were decolorized by 100, 83.58 ± 3.07, and 42.68 ± 3.02%, respectively. Decolorization and biodegradation were confirmed by UV–VIS spectroscopy, FTIR, and LC–MS. The analysis with FTIR affirmed the cleavage of the azo bond and the formation of novel products. The metabolites were determined by LC–MS analyses and a possible biodegradation pathway was proposed. Phytotoxicity was tested on Lens culinaris and the non-toxic nature of the metabolites was revealed. This study provides insights into the potentiality of Bacillus sp. SBT8 isolate on the decolorization and biodegradation of azo dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the machine learning-based assessment of predisposition to colorectal cancer based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). Such a computational approach may be used as a risk indicator and an auxiliary diagnosis method that complements the traditional methods such as biopsy and CT scan. Moreover, it may be used to develop a low-cost screening test for the early detection of colorectal cancers to improve public health. We employ several supervised classification algorithms. Besides, we apply data imputation to fill in the missing genotype values. The employed dataset includes SNPs observed in particular colorectal cancer-associated genomic loci that are located within DNA regions of 11 selected genes obtained from 115 individuals. We make the following observations: (i) random forest-based classifier using one-hot encoding and K-nearest neighbor (KNN)-based imputation performs the best among the studied classifiers with an F1 score of 89% and area under the curve (AUC) score of 0.96. (ii) One-hot encoding together with K-nearest neighbor-based data imputation increases the F1 scores by around 26% in comparison to the baseline approach which does not employ them. (iii) The proposed model outperforms a commonly employed state-of-the-art approach, ColonFlag, under all evaluated settings by up to 24% in terms of the AUC score. Based on the high accuracy of the constructed predictive models, the studied 11 genes may be considered a gene panel candidate for colon cancer risk screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is twofold. Firstly, to deal with the geometric aspect of the motion, which we mostly consider the appropriate reference frame and attempt to find evolution equations of the electric and magnetic vector fields along with the normal flowlines while they are governed by the normal flow motion in the binormal direction in the ordinary space. Secondly, to understand physical inferences belonging to the motion of electric and magnetic flowlines and then to give detailed calculations to characterize some significant concepts such as flow density and geometric phase occurring as a result of this evolution system. The manuscript ends by providing the existence conditions for describing the electromagnetic field vectors flux surfaces under the normal evolution equations in the binormal direction when they are exposed to the modified visco Heisenberg ferromagnetic effect and providing some numerical solutions and demonstrations using fractional simulation techniques and stochastic iterative equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction is presented to the article correction to the affiliations of Alon Ascoli in the publication "An analytical approach to engineer multistability in the oscillatory response of a pulse-driven ReRAM."

In this paper, the features of current magnetic and electric flow densities are investigated. Their geometric phases computed through the local anholonomic reference frame are investigated for the normal flow of the electromagnetic field lines in ordinary geometry. The normal evolution field-based reference frame, which specifies the time-dependent flow of the curve in terms of geometric quantities, is given. The relationship of the gradient of the flow flux and the divergence freeness of the magnetic field is introduced. Thus, the aim is to elucidate the efficient use of the anholonomic coordinate system and its components and also to determine the conditions for the existence of electromagnetic field vector flux surfaces governed by evolution equations in the normal direction when they are exposed to the modified visco Heisenberg ferromagnetic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex disease related to several factors. Psychosocial elements, such as type D personality and low level of self-esteem, might increase disease burden. The current study aimed to investigate type D personality and self-esteem in patients with FM. Female patients with FM and age-matched, healthy controls were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Type D personality was evaluated using the type D scale (DS-14). The Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES) was used to assess self-esteem and psychosomatic symptoms. Type D personality was observed in 58.6% of the patients (n = 70) and in 21.7% of the controls (n = 60) (p < 0.001). When compared to patients with non-type D personality, those with type D personality revealed lower self-esteem and poorer health status (p < 0.05 for both), and higher anxiety and depression scores (p < 0.001 for both). In binary logistic regression analysis, the odds of FM were 3.6 times higher (OR = 3.653, 95% CI 1.547–8.625) for patients with type D personality, after adjusting for age and education level. In addition, depression (OR= 1.178, Cl 95% 1.055 − 1.316) and lower education level (OR= 0.818, Cl 95% 0.682 − 0.982) were significantly related to type D personality in FM. Type D personality is closely associated with FM. Type D personality is more common in female patients with FM when compared to healthy women. Depression and lower education level are potential confounders of type D personality in FM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: MALT1 deficiency is a combined immune deficiency characterized by recurrent infections, eczema, chronic diarrhea, and failure to thrive. Clinical and immunological characterizations of the disease have not been previously reported in large cohorts. We sought to determine the clinical, immunological, genetic features, and the natural history of MALT-1 deficiency. Methods: The clinical findings and treatment outcomes were evaluated in nine new MALT1-deficient patients. Peripheral lymphocyte subset analyses, cytokine secretion, and proliferation assays were performed. We also analyzed ten previously reported patients to comprehensively evaluate genotype/phenotype correlation. Results: The mean age of patients and disease onset were 33 ± 17 and 1.6 ± 0.7 months, respectively. The main clinical findings of the disease were recurrent infections (100%), skin involvement (100%), failure to thrive (100%), oral lesions (67%), chronic diarrhea (56%), and autoimmunity (44%). Eosinophilia and high IgE were observed in six (67%) and two (22%) patients, respectively. The majority of patients had normal T and NK cells, while eight (89%) exhibited reduced B cells. Immunoglobulin replacement and antibiotics prophylaxis were mostly ineffective in reducing the frequency of infections and other complications. One patient received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and five patients died as a complication of life-threatening infections. Analyzing this cohort with reported patients revealed overall survival in 58% (11/19), which was higher in patients who underwent HSCT (P = 0.03). Conclusion: This cohort provides the largest analysis for clinical and immunological features of MALT1 deficiency. HSCT should be offered as a curative therapeutic option for all patients at the early stage of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cocoa bean shells were subjected to green extraction technologies, based on the absence of toxic organic solvents, to recover polyphenols; the extract was then encapsulated using a spray dryer and maltodextrin as coating agent. The best conditions observed in the spray drying tests (core-to-coating ratio 1:5; inlet temperature 150 °C; flow rate 6 ml min−1) were applied to produce the microcapsules used to enrich the same cocoa mass as the shells and processed for the preparation of the chocolate bars. Sensory analysis showed no significant differences between enriched chocolate bar and the unenriched reference one, except for the appearance. Both samples were then subjected to accelerated storage tests, at the end of which the polyphenols in the control chocolate bar (0.85 g 100 g−1) were reduced by about 50% (0.42 g 100 g−1), while in the enriched chocolate (1.17 g 100 g−1) by only 22% (0.97 g 100 g−1). The proposed process significantly enriched the chocolate bars with phenolic antioxidants recovered from cocoa waste without increasing the sensations of bitterness and astringency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we introduce directional Fermi–Walker transportation along with the vortex lines of nonvanishing vector fields in the ordinary three-dimensional space. Moreover, we investigate the geometric phase and angular velocity vector (Darboux vector) of vortex lines. Then, we define directional magnetic and electric vortex lines by considering the Lorentz force law and electromagnetic force equation. Finally, we prove a significant relation between directional magnetic and electric vortex lines and angular velocity vector of vortex lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient 1 (Pt1) suffered severe intestinal symptoms refractory to immunosuppressive medications and recurrent episodes of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) besides infectious features. A literature review on the association of inborn errors of immunity (IEI) with nervous system pathologies suggests an array of central or peripheral nerve manifestations, including chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (mainly in autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal-dystrophy syndrome), are linked to different IEI categories [[7]]. 10.1177/0883073817754176 9 Ozen A. CHAPLE syndrome uncovers the primary role of complement in a familial form of Waldmann's disease. Four patients developed lymphoma: diffuse large B cell lymphoma in three patients and EBV-positive Hodgkin lymphoma in one [[4]]. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether posterior alveolar bone height affects maxillary sinus septa (MSS) height in dentate and edentulous patients, as determined by cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and methods: This retrospective analysis enrolled 166 patients (91 men and 75 women) with a mean age of 43.12 ± 15.26 years (range 18–74 years), who had at least one MSS on CBCT images. MSS were categorized into three regions: anterior, middle, and posterior. Patients were categorized as complete or partial posterior edentulous or fully posterior dentate. The maximum vertical diameter of the sinus septa and alveolar bone height was analyzed in sagittal CBCT sections; P < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results: We found 210 MSS among the patients in this study. Of the 166 patients, 36 had bilateral septa and 4 had three septa. The septa were mainly located in the middle region in the dentate (n = 70; 33.3%) and edentulous (n = 59; 28.1%) patients. The mean septal height was significantly higher in men than in women (P = 0.024). In dentate patients, the mean MSS height was similar among the three regions. In edentulous patients, the anterior mean MSS height (4.96 ± 2.77 mm) was lower than that of the other two regions. There was no statistically significant association between septa and alveolar bone height in any anatomic region, in either group (r = 0.022; P = 0.748). Conclusions: These results suggest that MSS height is not influenced by alveolar bone height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/objectives: The clinicians initially prefer to define patients with the systemic autoinflammatory disease (SAID)'s based on recommended clinical classification criteria; then, they confirm the diagnosis with genetic testing. We aimed to compare the initial phenotypic diagnoses of the patients who were followed up with the preliminary diagnosis of a monogenic SAID, and the genotypic results obtained from the next-generation sequence (NGS) panel. Method: Seventy-one patients with the preliminary diagnosis of cryopyrin-associated periodic fever syndrome (CAPS), mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD), or tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor-associated periodic fever syndrome (TRAPS) were included in the study. The demographic data, clinical findings, laboratory results, and treatments were recorded. All patients were examined by NGS panel analysis including 16 genes. The genetic results were compared with the initial Federici score to determine whether they were compatible with each other. Results: Thirty patients were initially classified as MKD, 22 as CAPS, and 19 as TRAPS. The frequency of clinical manifestations was urticarial rash 57.7%, diarrhea 49.2%, abdominal pain 47.8%, arthralgia 45%, oral aphthae 43.6%, myalgia 32.3%, tonsillitis 28.1%, and conjunctivitis 25.3%, respectively. After NGS gene panel screening, 13 patients were diagnosed with CAPS, 8 with MKD, 7 with familial Mediterranean fever, 5 with TRAPS, and 2 with NLRP12-associated periodic syndrome. The remaining 36 patients were genetically identified as undefined SAID since they were not classified as one of the defined SAIDs after the result of the NGS panel. Conclusions: We have demonstrated that clinical diagnostic criteria may not always be sufficient to establish the correct diagnosis. There is still low accordance between clinical diagnoses and molecular analyses. In the case of a patient with a preliminary diagnosis of a monogenic SAID with the negative result of target gene analysis, other autoinflammatory diseases should also be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis. Key Points • Monogenic autoinflammatory diseases can present with different clinical manifestations. • The clinical diagnostic criteria may not always be sufficient to reach the correct diagnosis in autoinflammatory diseases. • In the case of a patient with a preliminary diagnosis of a monogenic SAID with the negative result of target gene analysis, other autoinflammatory diseases should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The issue of needing additional lingual injection in extractions of mandibular premolar and incisors is still not clarified. The aim of this study is to investigate whether it is necessary to perform lingual injection in addition to buccal infiltration anesthesia in mandibular incisors and premolar teeth extractions. Materials and methods: Sixty-six patients who admitted to our clinic for the removal of bilateral mandibular anterior teeth were included in the present study. Patients were divided into two groups. The experimental group received only 1.5 ml of 2% lidocaine with 1:80,000 epinephrine by injection into the buccal vestibule of the tooth. The control group received 1.5 ml of 2% lidocaine with 1:80,000 epinephrine by buccal injection into the buccal side and 0.3 ml same lidocaine solution injected into the lingual side of the tooth. After 5 min, tooth was extracted and each patient was asked to record the intensity of injection and extraction pain by 0–100 mm and a 10-point Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and six-pointed Face Pain Scale (FPS). Results: The injection pain scores were significantly higher in terms of the VAS 0–10 point and 0–100 mm and FPS in the control group to which additional lingual injections were applied than the experimental group (p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found in all three scales between the groups in terms of extraction pain (p > 0.05). The mean extraction pain scores were lower in the experimental group according to the three scales. No additional anesthetic injection and post-operative complications were observed in all patients. Conclusions: The extraction of mandibular incisors and premolar teeth can only be done with only the buccal infiltration. Clinical relevance: In the extraction of mandibular anterior teeth, it can be performed with less anesthetic amount without the need for an additional lingual injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the geometric evolution of a linearly polarized light wave coupling into an optical fiber and the rotation of the polarization plane in De-Sitter 2-space. The optical fiber is assumed to be a one-dimensional object imbedded in the De-Sitter 2-space S 1 2 along with the paper. Mathematically, De-Sitter 2-space S 1 2 is described to be a 2-sphere in a Lorentzian space with positive curvature. Thus, in the De-Sitter 2-space, we have demonstrated that the evolution of a linearly polarized light wave is associated with the Berry phase or more commonly known as the geometric phase. The ordinary condition for parallel transportation is defined by the Fermi–Walker parallelism law. We define other Fermi–Walker parallel transportation laws and connect them with the famous Rytov parallel transportation law for an electric field E , which is considered as the direction of the state of the linearly polarized light wave traveling through the optical fiber in De-Sitter 2-space. Later, we have defined a special class of magnetic curves called by Lorentzian spherical electromagnetic curves (LSEM curves), which are generated by the electric field E along with the linearly polarized monochromatic light wave propagating in the optical fiber. In this way, not only we are able to define a special class of linearly polarized point particles corresponding to LSEM -curves of the electromagnetic field along with the optical fiber in the De-Sitter 2-space, but we can also calculate, both numerically and analytically, the electromagnetic force, Poynting vector, energy-exchanges rate, optical angular and linear momentum, and optical magnetic torque experienced by the linearly polarizable point particles along with the optical fiber in the De-Sitter 2-space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ICOS deficiency is classified as a combined immunodeficiency (CID) and encompasses broad patient phenotypes with hypogammaglobulinemia, recurrent infections, enteropathies, autoimmunity, lymphoproliferation, and malignancy [[5]]. Although some previously reported patients had low CTLA4 levels [[3]], our patient exhibited a normal percentage of regulatory T cells expressing CTLA4 (Fig. In conclusion, we described a new ICOS-deficient patient with a novel mutation presenting with recurrent infections, hypogammaglobulinemia, and enteropathy and showing progressive loss of B cells during the follow-up. [Extracted from the article]

We first describe the conditions for being elastica or nonelastica for a lightlike elastic Cartan curve in the Minkowski space E 1 4 by using the Bishop orthonormal vector frame and associated Bishop components. Then we compute the energy of the lightlike elastic and nonelastic Cartan curves in the Minkowski space E 1 4 and investigate its relationship with the energy of the same curves in Bishop vector fields in E 1 4 . In this case, the energy functionals are computed in terms of the Bishop curvatures of the lightlike Cartan curve lying in the Minkowski space E 1 4 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAIDs) may not always present with typical clinical findings of a monogenic disease. We aimed to genetically screen and diagnose these clinically unclassified patients by next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis. Method: A total of 64 patients who had clinical findings of a periodic fever syndrome but did not meet the clinical diagnostic criteria for any SAID or had clinical findings for more than one monogenic SAID were identified as "clinically unclassified SAIDs." NGS panel analysis, including 16 genes, was performed in these patients. Patients, who could not be classified as one of the defined SAID after the result of the NGS gene analysis, were identified as "undefined SAID." Results: The most common autoinflammatory symptoms in unclassified SAID patients were abdominal pain (60.9%), arthralgia (48.4%), urticarial rash (43.8%), myalgia (40.6%), oral aphthae (28.1%), and conjunctivitis (20.3%), respectively. In the result of the NGS gene panel screening, pathogenic, likely pathogenic variants, or VUS (variants of uncertain significance) were detected in 36 of 64 patients in at least one gene in the NGS panel. A total of 15 patients were diagnosed with a monogenic SAID according to both phenotypic and genotypic data; 12 patients as FMF, two patients as FCAS, and one patient as TRAPS, respectively. A total of 49 patients who did not meet the classification criteria including genetic results for a monogenic SAID were followed as undefined SAID. Conclusions: The classification criteria described for SAIDs so far unfortunately do not cover all patients with signs of periodic fevers. The NGS gene panel appears to be a useful diagnostic tool for some of the patients with clinically unclassified SAID findings. Key Points • The classification criteria described for SAIDs do not cover all patients with signs of periodic fevers • The use of the undefined SAID nomenclature will benefit clinicians for diagnosis and initiating early treatment • The NGS panel appears to be a useful diagnostic tool in patients with clinically unclassified SAIDs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WO3 is a popular electrochromic device and therefore it has extensively used for the electrochromic (EC) devices such as display and smart window applications. In this study, SnO2-doped WO3 thin films have been deposited to obtain high-performance EC device and detailed transmittance analysis was determined. At the end of this study, general coloring–bleaching mechanism for SnO2-doped WO3 active layer is presented. Li ion intercalation/de-intercalation is seen in Nyquist graph for the SnO2-doped WO3 thin film deposited onto ITO coated glass substrate. All tests were done in 80 s in coloring and bleaching of the SnO2-doped WO3 layer. Reversibility values of the EC devices mounted in this study were calculated to be 79 and 90% for the device with ITO or FTO conductive layers, respectively. According to the morphological analysis, grain distribution on the surfaces defined as to be perfect. Thanks to Raman analyses, the SnO2–WO3 phases are seen. Finally, the EC devices have been working in the UV–Vis region. As a result, to obtain the high-performance EC device, SnO2-doped WO3 active layer is a good choice. TVA method is also proper technology to device manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production of multifunctional biomaterials in nanoscale is one of the most popular topics in nanotechnology related to biological applications because of its biocompatibility and biodegradability. Herein, cellulose acetate (CA) was blended with chitosan (CS) for the formation of non-soluble electrospun nanofibers in aqueous medium. Amine-functionalized nanofiber surfaces were obtained using carbohydrates, which is an advantage for biomolecule immobilization by covalent bonds. Different solvent systems and CA–CS feeding ratio were examined to obtain ultrafine non-beaded nanofibers. After showing the surface characteristics of CA–CS nanofibers, glucose oxidase (GOx) was immobilized on CA–CS coated electrode by covalent conjugation. Cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements were carried out to prove the surface modification. Finally, CA–CS/GOx platform was investigated to detect glucose in samples and some potential interfering compounds were tested to find out the performance of CA–CS/GOx. CA–CS electrospun nanofibers were well-characterized and applied successfully to fabricate repeatable electrochemical enzymatic biosensor for the first time in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Mee Bunney Psychological Pain Assessment Scale (MBPPAS), which questions the frequency, intensity and acute period of psychological pain. We also aimed to investigate whether psychological pain allows measuring acute suicidal behavior; and whether there were different levels of psychological pain in suicide-related disorders. The study included 73 patients with major depressive disorder, 50 patients with bipolar disorder and 77 healthy controls. MBPPAS, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Physical Pain Scale, and Psychache Scale were filled by the participants. In the internal consistency, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was found to be 0.95 and the item-total score correlation coefficients were between 0.51 and 0.89. Explanatory factor analysis showed that the scale was loaded under the single factor, which had an eigenvalue of 7.02, explaining 70.23% of the total variance. Factor loads of the items were found between 0.57 and 0.92. Discriminant function analysis showed that the scale classified the patient group and the healthy group, also the patients with and without suicide attempt, and each group was classified as successfully when the three groups were considered together. Besides the fact that the Turkish version of the scale is valid and reliable, it has been shown that it can be useful (partially) in the studies conducted with patients in the acute phase and in distinguishing disorders from each other in suicide-related entities such as mood disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide is a preferred material in many fields of applications and is also used as one of best electrochromic display (ECD) candidates due to its chemical stability. Electrochromic devices are innovative, low-cost and low energy consumption for using as displays. In this work, electrochromic, morphological, structural, and some optical properties of tandem structures were comprehensively investigated. The mean thicknesses of the samples were measured as 86 and 120 nm on ITO- and FTO-coated glass substrates, respectively. The chronoamperometry test was performed to determine some electrochromic properties of the ECD. It was observed that the amounts of ions intercalated/de-intercalated from the coated TiO2 layer were almost equal to each other. According to the chronocoulometric analysis, the superior reversibility and coloration efficiency of the assembled ECD were found to be 83% and 26 cm2/C, respectively, onto ITO substrates. Higher reversibility is revealed in thinner films, which is consistent with the obtained thickness results. In a similar manner, highest coloration efficiency obtained for our ECD has demonstrated good contact between the TiO2-deposited layer and the ITO-coated glass substrate. Also, the highest porosity was reached by taking the highest coloration efficiency value into account. Moreover, coloration efficiencies and ΔT ratios are changed due to the interlayer transparent conductive oxide layers. Raman spectroscopy measurement reveals the anatase phase of TiO2 films on both substrates. Another important finding is related to the defect structures of the TiO2 phase. TiO2, TiO3 and TiO4 mixed phases show the lower coloration efficiency according to the TiO2 phase, for the first time. TiO3 and TiO4 phases were grown by using the FTO-coated glass substrate. Comparing results with reports has shown that our investigated design and technology for ECD applications are good candidates for such applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depressive symptoms, in addition to positive and negative symptoms, are commonly observed in the course of schizophrenia. These symptoms may cause disability and reduced self-esteem. Disability and lower self-esteem may disrupt the quality of life and lead to social isolation. Demonstrating the relationships among these concepts and correcting possible disturbances may help to augment treatment compliance and improve the prognosis. In this study, the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS), the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS), and the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES) were applied along with a sociodemographic data form to 146 patients with schizophrenia. Path analyses were used to demonstrate the direct effect of schizophrenia severity on self-esteem and its indirect effect through disability and depression, the mediating effect of depression in the relationship between schizophrenia severity and disability, and the mediator effect of disability in the bidirectional relationship between self-esteem and depression. Statistically significant results were obtained. In multivariate regression analysis, significant effects on disability were demonstrated for PANSS General Psychopathology subscale, CDSS, and RSES. These data suggest that attention should be focused on concepts such as depression, disability, and self-esteem in schizophrenia patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene is an interesting two-dimensional dopant for the electronic, electrochemical, and optoelectronic devices due to its high electron mobility, high electrical, and thermal conductivity, and high optical transparency. Another graphene-like material is boron nitride (BN). h-BN shares similar lattice structure with graphene and many physical properties except large bandgap. In this study, optical, morphological, and structural properties of the two-dimensional BN-doped ZnO thin films have been investigated with various techniques such as UV–Vis spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. Two-dimensional BN-doped ZnO thin films were produced onto glass, indium tin oxide-coated glass, and fluorine tin oxide-coated glass using by a Thermionic Vacuum Arc (TVA) deposition technique. The results show that the substrate effect causes the different growth mechanisms for the two-dimensional BN-doped ZnO thin films. It is found that bandgap of ZnO changed drastically and bandgaps of the deposited thin films were found to be 3.96 eV, 3.97 eV, 4.05 eV for two-dimensional BN-doped ZnO thin films deposited onto glass, ITO-coated glass, and FTO-coated glass substrates, respectively. According to the Raman spectra, BN crystal orientations are in hexagonal form in ZnO crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Morbidity due to papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is increased mostly due to lymph node (LN) metastases, which lead to reoperations and complications associated with these operations. The aim is to compare the outcomes of PTC having total thyroidectomy and prophylactic central lymph node dissection (TT + PCND) with patients having total thyroidectomy (TT) alone. Methods: This study is a retrospective cohort analysis of 358 PTC patients that were operated by a single surgeon in a single center. Data about the patients were extracted from the medical records. Results: Of the patient cohort, 258 patients had TT + PCND (42.5 ± 11.3 years) and 100 patients (41.2 ± 11.9 years) had only TT. Total number of LN extracted in the TT + PCND group was 8.1 ± 6.9. The mean number of metastatic LN were 2.2 ± 1.9. Percentage of patients that had RAI were less in the TT + PCND group compared to the TT group. Seven patients (2.7%) in the TT + PCND group and 19 (19.0%) in TT group had recurrent disease (p < 0.0001). Of the complications, only transient hypoparathyroidism was increased in TT + PCND group compared to TT group (26.7% vs 10%, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: TT + PCND performed by an experienced surgeon seems to decrease the number of LN recurrences, and the need for reoperations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographic routing in wireless sensor networks brings numerous inherent advantages, albeit its performance relying heavily on accurate node locations. In mobile networks, localization of the continuously moving nodes is a challenging task and location errors are inevitable and affect considerably routing decisions. Our proposal is in response to the unrealistic assumption widely made by previous geographic routing protocols that the accurate location of mobile nodes can be obtained at any time. Such idealized assumption results in under-performing or infeasible routing protocols for the real world applications. In this paper, we propose INTEGER, a localization method intertwined with a new location-error-resilient geographic routing specifically designed for mobile sensor networks even when these networks are intermittently connected. By combining the localization phase with the geographic routing process, INTEGER can select a relay node based on nodes' mobility predictions from the localization phase. Results show that INTEGER improves the efficiency of the routing by increasing the packet delivery ratio and by reducing the energy consumption while minimizing the number of relay nodes compared to six prevalent protocols from the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cherry laurel fruit is a good source of phenolics together with considerable antioxidant activity. However, it is only available for a short period of time during the year. Drying could offer long-time preservation however it harms the bioactive compounds due to the high temperatures applied during the process. The aim of this study is to determine the most proper drying method for cherry laurel in terms of preserving its bioactive compounds. The phenolics contents, antioxidant and antibacterial activities, and color properties of cherry laurel dried via lyophilization, vacuum drying, and fan oven-drying were compared. Lyophilized cherry laurel had the highest phenolics content (315.51 Gallic acid equivalent mg/100 g dried cherry laurel) and color intensity (C*). The antioxidant activity was determined using both DPPH and ABTS assays. The highest antioxidant activity (6.16 mM TE/g in DPPH and 28.83 mM TE/g in ABTS) thus, the lowest half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was detected for lyophilized samples in both DPPH and ABTS assays in methanolic (1.59 mg dried cherry laurel) and aqueous (0.30 mg dried cherry laurel) extracts, respectively. In general, vacuum- and fan oven-dried cherry laurel presented similar phenolics contents and antioxidant activities. None of the dried cherry laurel extracts showed antibacterial activity against the selected bacteria. Although lyophilization is a high-cost technology, it could be applied as an alternative method in the drying of cherry laurel since it provides high-quality products while maintaining its bioactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the clinical features, genotype, and treatment approaches of patients with confirmed adenosine deaminase 2 (ADA2) deficiency with dissimilar phenotypes. Methods: A case series of five DADA2 patients from three families was presented. The clinical and laboratory data, treatment protocols, and outcome of the patients were recorded from the patients' medical charts. ADA2 gene was screened by next generation sequencing first and then verified by Sanger sequencing. Serum ADA2 enzyme activity was measured by modified spectrophotometric method. Results: The median (min–max) age at onset of symptoms and age at diagnosis were 11 (9–13.8) years and 15 (9–19) years, respectively. The median (min–max) follow-up period was 8 (6–45) months. There was consanguinity in two families (2/3). The main clinical manifestations are musculoskeletal (5/5), dermatological (4/5), and neurological (2/5). Homozygosity for the p.G47R mutation in ADA2 gene was detected in three patients. A homozygous mutation in ADA2 gene (c.650 T > A; p.Val217Asp) was detected in two siblings. Plasma ADA2 enzymatic activity was absent in all patients. Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy was commenced, and all patients became clinically inactive with normal acute-phase reactants. Conclusion: ADA2 mutations should be checked in patients with presence of inflammation and livedoid vasculitis when they have neurological findings, especially in the form of stroke; and a history suggesting for an inherited disease; or presence of resistance to conventional treatment. Besides, anti-TNF seems to be useful for treatment of DADA2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A [ SP 68 sp Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT revealed increased PSMA uptake at inferior vena cava (IVC) extending through left common iliac vein (SUVmax = 9.36, Figure a and b). Therefore, clinicians should consider VTT as a possible clinical presentation of PCa and [ SP 18 sp F]FDG, and [ SP 68 sp Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT can be utilized to investigate the nature of the thrombus. [Extracted from the article]

Due to many biological cell functions of vitamin D including regulation of cell survival, proliferation and differentiation, the metabolism of itself gains importance in the development of several types of cancer. This case–control study was designed to evaluate the risk of gastric cancer development in terms of VDR rs2228570 & rs731236, and VDBP rs7041 polymorphisms, and serum levels of vitamin D. The study consists of 77 gastric cancer patients and 84 healthy individuals. VDR and VDBP gene polymorphisms and vitamin D levels were determined by using PCR–RFLP and HPLC methods. The distribution of VDR or VDBP gene variants were not different in study groups. The serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was significantly lower in gastric cancer patients versus controls (16 ± 6 → 11 ± 6 ng/ml) in which male patients have higher levels than females. Although the whole study population lacks normal levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, it was found that the risk of the development of gastric cancer was approximately fourfold higher in cases with severe vitamin D (< 10 ng/ml) deficiency. Our results indicate that VDR rs731236 & rs2228570 or VDBP rs7041 polymorphisms were not risk factors for the development of gastric cancer individually, however, lower serum levels of vitamin D may be a contributory risk for both predisposition and development of gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiation has great importance in human life; it enters into various fields of agricultural, industrial, medical and food sterilization, for example, in the medical field, X-ray is used to diagnose many cases of a disease. The exposure to radiation has great risks to human life and must be protected against it. There are several ways to protect the human body from radiation; one of these ways is shielding; in the present work, eight types of ceramic materials have been used as a shielding material and tested against gamma ray, each type of ceramic modified as glazed and unglazed. The radiation sources 137Cs and 60Co were used to calculate attenuation coefficients and half-value layers by gamma-ray spectrometer system with scintillation detector NaI(Tl). The obtained results show that the photon attenuation coefficient for all samples decreases with increasing energy, while half-value layers increase with increasing energy. The results of the study showed that glazed ceramics are better than unglazed in the attenuation of gamma radiation which makes their use of shielding better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a constructive heuristic approach for the assembly line worker assignment and balancing problem (ALWABP). ALWABP arises when the operation time for every task differs according to the worker who executes the task. Since the operation times of tasks vary due to the workers, the problem requires a simultaneous solution to the double assignment problem. Tasks must be assigned to workers and workers to stations, concurrently. This problem is especially proposed in sheltered work centers for the disabled. However, it is not only important for the assembly lines with the disabled, but also for manually operated assembly lines with high labor turnover. In this paper, a multiple-rule based constructive randomized search (MRBCRS) algorithm is proposed in order to solve the ALWABP. Thirty nine task priority rules and four worker priority rules are defined. Performance of the proposed MRBCRS is compared with the relevant literature on benchmark data. Experimental results show that the proposed MRBCRS is very effective for benchmark problems. The results show that the algorithm improves upon the best-performing methods from the literature in terms of solution quality and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO thin films are widely used in many application areas due to its various properties. The properties of the ZnO thin film strongly depend on the manufacturing method, doping elements and ratio and substrate material. In this paper, ZnO material was doped by Al element. Thermionic vacuum arc is a fast deposition technology for Al doped ZnO thin film manufacturing. TVA is physical vapor deposition technology, using anodic vacuum arc. It works under the high vacuum condition. The thin films were deposited onto amorphous glass, semi-crystal PET and single crystal Si substrate. Structural, morphological and optical properties of the Al doped ZnO thin films are presented. Thin films are in polycrystalline form and have high crystalline quality. According to the XRD analysis, metal oxide phases (ZnO and Al2O3) and bi-metal oxide (ZnAl2O4) phases were detected. It was found that crystallite sizes strongly depend on the substrate. The crystallite size of the thin film deposited on the Si substrate is approximately 100 nm. For the other sample, the value is very small; it is just about 20 nm. Considering the optical results of the samples, all films are transparent in visible region. Band gap and electronic structures of the Al doped ZnO thin films were investigated by optical method, photoluminescence and Raman spectra. The band gaps of the thin films were shifted towards to the high-energy region. Any impurity in deposited thin films cannot detect by the analyses devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new type of assembly line worker assignment and balancing problem (ALWABP) which considers ergonomic risks. ALWABP occurs when task times vary according to the assigned worker. Although the operation time of a task is assumed to be fixed in classical assembly lines, it depends on the operator who executes the task in ALWABP. In ALWABP literature, the primary and secondary objectives are minimizing cycle time and balancing workload among workstations smoothly, respectively. When smoothing workload, only task times are taken into consideration in the relevant literature. However, degree of difficulty of tasks is also very important. Two workers executing two different stations with the same station time are assumed to be equally loaded according to the traditional perception. In fact, even they have the same station time; their workloads are different because of the different tasks they execute, in real life assembly line configurations. In order to close this gap between the real life and the literature, this study introduces an ALWABP problem with considering ergonomic risk factors (ErgoALWABP). Due to the complex nature of the problem, optimum seeking methods are not capable of solving it. So, the proposed problem is tackled with the multiple-rule based constructive randomized search approach. Also, OCcupational Repetitive Action method is used for making ergonomic risk assessment. Performance of the proposed solution procedure is compared with the relevant literature on benchmark data. Experimental results show that ergonomic environment could be improved when ergonomic risk factors are taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to identify epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients and report our experience with eculizumab treatment during an outbreak of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in Istanbul in 2015.Methods: Thirty-two children (21 females, median age 3.25 years) were included in this study. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data, and treatment details were retrospectively collected. Renal outcomes were assessed at last follow-up visit. To assess the effect of eculizumab on prognosis of STEC-HUS, subgroup analysis was performed on patients who required dialysis.Results: A high number of cases occurred within a certain region of Istanbul. Stool samples were cultured from 21 patients (65%), and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC; n = 7) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC; n = 3) strains were detected. Rates of dialysis treatment, neurological manifestations, and death were 59%, 25%, and 3%, respectively. Mean follow-up duration was 8.6 ± 2.6 months (range 3-12 months). None of the patients (n = 25) was on dialysis at the final visit. The complete renal recovery rate was 54%. Nine patients were treated with eculizumab. At final follow-up visit, no differences in estimated glomerular filtration rate, proteinuria level, or hypertension incidence were observed between patients treated with eculizumab and those not treated with eculizumab.Conclusions: An outbreak of EAEC occurred in a specific region of Istanbul. Livestock markets were suspected as the source. Evidence for beneficial effects of eculizumab on renal outcome was not clear in this cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]