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Abstract Background/Aims: In this study, the results of patients who had orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) in acute rejection who admitted to our clinic with decompensated heart failure and who could not undergo endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) were evaluated. Methods: The study included 27 patients who underwent OHT in our clinic between December 1998 and November 2021, who admitted with acute rejection causing decompensated heart failure during follow-up, and who could not undergo EMB and administered IV pulse steroid plus plasmapheresis. Demographics of patients, peri-treatment left ventricular functions, survival rates and causes of mortality were analyzed. Results: 19 (70.4%) were male and mean age was 28.7 ± 14.7 (range: 3-54). After OHT, overall survival rates were 92.6%, 77.6%, and 69.4% at 1st, 3rd and 5th year respectively. During the follow-up, the survival rates of patients who presented with decompensated heart failure and given pulse steroid plus plasmapheresis were 70.4%, 58.8%, and 53.4% at 1st, 3rd and 5th year respectively after plasmapheresis. Median rejection time after transplant was 19 months (range 0-113 months). Pre-, and post-treatment left ventricle ejection fractions were 25.11% ± 11.1%, and 52.14% ± 13.4% respectively (p

Objective: There is limited data in the literature on the mental health of newly diagnosed hematological cancer (HC) patients in COVID-19 pandemic. This study evaluates the mental health statuses of HC inpatients diagnosed during the COVID-19 pandemic in comparison to the statuses of patients diagnosed with HC before the pandemic. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey collected the mental health measurements of 77 inpatients with HC between March and May 2021. The levels of depression, generalized anxiety, distress, sleep disorder, health anxiety, trait anxiety, coronaphobia, and resilience in HC patients newly diagnosed during the pandemic (NDHC) (n=38) and HC patients diagnosed before the pandemic (BPHC) (n=39) were compared. The relationships between predictive factors and cancer patients’ mental health statuses were evaluated. Results: Depression (63.2% vs. 35.9%, p=0.017) and sleep disorder (67.8% vs. 38.5, p=0.016) were significantly higher, while generalized anxiety (57.9% vs. 38.5%, p=0.088) and distress (52.6% vs. 33.3%, p=0.087) were higher in NDHC.Health anxiety was more common in BPHC (53.8% vs. 31.6%, p=0.048).Among NDHC, women had more anxiety symptoms than men (76.5% vs. 42.9%, p=0.037).Diagnosing newly increased the risk of severity of depression and sleep disorders, bu decreased the risk of health anxiety. Conclusion: Our data indicate that patients with HC are vulnerable to mental health problems in the COVID-19 pandemic. This vulnerability is higher in newly diagnosed HC patients than in patients diagnosed before the pandemic. These findings may help develop interventions that reduce the vulnerability to adverse psychological effects by identifying risk factors for HC patients under pandemic conditions.

Background: Fractalkine (FKN) is an inflammatory cytokine that has been shown with increased serum levels in diabetic patients and is considered to contribute to the adipose tissue inflammation by supporting monocyte adhesion to adipocytes which has an important role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Our aim was to evaluate the effects of glucose ingestion on the serum fractalkine levels in healthy subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and newly diagnosed T2DM patients. Methods: A total of 67 patients were included in this study, and they were divided into NGT (n= 34) and T2DM (n= 33) groups according to their oral glucose tolerance test (O G TT) results. The serum FKN and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured at 0 and 120 minutes during an O G TT following overnight fasting. Results: The 0-minute (basal) and 120-minute O G TT FKN levels were found to be significantly higher in the T2DM group when compared to the NGT group (p= 0.012 and p= 0.001, respectively). However, no significant differences were observed in terms of the changes in the basal and 120-minute O G TT FKN levels in the T2DM and NGT groups (p= 0.433 and p= 0.06, respectively). A significant positive correlation was observed between the 120-minute O G TT FKN and glucose levels in the study group consisting of all of the patients (r= 0.331, p= 0.006). Conclusions: In this study, basal and post-glycemic load FKN levels were found to be higher in newly diagnosed T2DM patients than those with NGT; however, there was no additional change in FKN levels by glycemic load.

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Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare and aggressive hematological malignancy characterized by proliferation of plasmacytoid dendritic cell precursors. Herein, we describe a 65-year-old male presented with a 6 month history of a progressively enlarging purple mass over his forehead. The histopathological examination revealed non-epidermotropic, dermal, and subepidermal homogeneous infiltration with moderate-sized cells resembling lymphoblasts or myeloblasts. The neoplastic clone diffusely stained positive with CD4 and CD56. They were negative for CD3, CD20, pax-5, CD30, myeloperoxidase, and TdT. Rearrangement studies for T and B cell receptor were negative. Ki-67 proliferation index was 80%. Involvement of multiple lymph nodes was detected. Bone marrow biopsy was normal. The patient was put on six cycles of R-CHOP chemotherapy which was successfully cleared all lesions. A rapid recurrence was observed after 1.5 months. While being prepared for autologous stem cell transplantation, the patient died due to rapidly onset myelosuppression and systemic infections. In conclusion, BPDCN should be in the clinical and histopathological differential diagnosis of rapidly developing tumoral cutaneous lesions. Early diagnosis is important to initiate aggressive treatments in BPDCN, in which skin involvement is very frequent.

Objective:Mammography-screening (MS) rates remain low in underdeveloped populations. We aimed to find the barriers against MS in a low socioeconomic population.Materials and Methods:Women aged 40-69 years who lived in the least developed city in Turkey (Mus), were targeted. A survey was used to question breast cancer (BC) knowledge and health practices.Results:In total, 2054 women were surveyed (participation rate: 85%). The MS rate was 35%. Women aged 50-59 years (42%, p

In this study, it is aimed to analyze the quasi-static response of viscoelastic Kirchhoff plates with mixed finite element formulation based on the Gâteaux differential. Although the static response of elastic plate, beam and shell structures is a widely studied topic, there are few studies that exist in the literature pertaining to the analysis of the viscoelastic structural elements especially with complex geometries, loading conditions and constitutive relations. The developed mixed finite element model in transformed Laplace-Carson space has four unknowns as displacement, bending and twisting moments in addition to the dynamic and geometric boundary condition terms. Four-parameter solid model is employed for modelling the viscoelastic behaviour. For transformation of the solutions obtained in the Laplace-Carson domain to the time domain, different numerical inverse transform techniques are employed. The developed solution technique is applied to several quasi-static example problems for the verification of the suggested numerical procedure.

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate the changes occurring in the mandibular condyle by using mentoplate together with rapid maxillary expansion (MP-RME) treatment in the correction of skeletal class III relationship, using fractal analysis (FA)., Methods: The sample consisted of 30 individuals (8-11 years) diagnosed with skeletal Class III malocclusion who underwent MP-RME treatment. Archival records provided cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images taken at two intervals: before MP-RME treatment (T0) and after treatment (T1). The CBCT images were obtained using standardized settings to ensure consistency in image quality and resolution. The trabecular structures in the bilateral condyles at both T0 and T1 were analyzed using FA. The FA was performed on these condylar images using the Image J software. The region of interest (ROI) was carefully selected in the condyle to avoid overlapping with cortical bone, and the box-counting method was employed to calculate the fractal dimension (FD). Statistical analysis was conducted to compare the FD values between T0 and T1 and to evaluate gender differences. The statistical significance was determined using paired t-tests for intra-group comparisons and independent t-tests for inter-group comparisons, with a significance level set at p < 0.05., Results: The analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in the trabecular structures of the condyles between T0 and T1 (p > 0.05). However, a significant gender difference was observed in FA values, with males exhibiting higher FA values in the left condyle compared to females at both T0 and T1 (p < 0.05). Specifically, the FA values in the left condyle increased from a mean of 1.09 ± 0.09 at T0 to 1.13 ± 0.08 at T1 in males, whereas in females, the FA values remained relatively stable with a mean of 1 ± 0.09 at T0 and 1.03 ± 0.11 at T1., Conclusion: The findings indicate that MP-RME therapy does not induce significant alterations in the trabecular structure of the mandibular condyle. These results suggest the treatment's safety concerning the structural integrity of the condyle, although the observed gender differences in FA values warrant further investigation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of a home exercise program on pain and quality of life (QoL) in TMD., Methods: Twenty patients were included in the study. The Group A received both a home exercise program and a physiotherapy program, while only a physiotherapy program was given to the Group B. Pain was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and QoL using the Short-Form 36 (SF-36)., Results: Pain decreased in both groups (p < 0.05). Among the SF-36 domains, bodily pain, vitality and social functioning scores improved in the Group A, while only the bodily pain parameter improved in the Group B (p < 0.05). On between-group comparison, the positive effect on pain and quality of life was greater in the Group A (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: The addition of a home exercise program to the conventional physiotherapy program provided greater improvement in pain and QoL in patients with TMD.

Background: Nasal septum osteotomy is used for separating the nasal septum and maxilla during a Le Fort I osteotomy. If this osteotomy is applied too high or is tilted into the nasal cavity, the sphenoid sinus and various adjacent vital structures may be damaged, and serious bleeding, neurological complications, blindness or even death may occur. The aim of this study is to determine the safety margin of the nasal septum osteotomy for sphenoid sinus during the Le Fort I surgery in cleft lip and palate (CLP) patients., Methods: Twenty cleft lip and palate (the CLP group) and 20 healthy individuals (the control group) were included in this study. Three values (two lines and an angle) were measured by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). The first line is the line passing through the junction of the spina nasalis anterior point and the lower point of the perpendicular lamina of the palatine bone. The undersired line is the line passing through the junction of the spina nasalis anterior point and the lower anterior border of the base of the sphenoid sinus. The osteotomy angle is the angle between these two lines., Results: In the control group; a surgical line of 44.11-61.14 mm (mean 51.91 ± 4.32), an undesired line of 52.48-69.58 mm (mean 59.14 ± 5.08) and an angle of 18.22-27.270 (mean 22.66 ± 2.55) were found, while in the CLP group, a surgical line of 34.53-51.16 mm (mean 43.38 ± 4.79), an undesired line of 46.86-61.35 mm (mean 55.02 ± 3.24) and an angle of 17.60-28.810 (mean 22.60 ± 2.81) were found., Conclusions: Although the angle to the sphenoid sinus was not significantly affected by CLP, careful planning and consideration of these anatomical differences are crucial to prevent complications and ensure the safety of Le Fort I surgery in CLP patients. Further research with larger sample sizes and subgroup analysis of unilateral and bilateral CLP cases is needed to improve our understanding of these anatomical variations and improve surgical approaches to individuals with CLP undergoing orthognathic procedures., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The aim of our study is to evaluate the postoperative complications after the extraction of impacted third molar teeth and to investigate the effects of these complications on the quality of life of patients., Methods: Demographic, clinical, and radiological evaluations were conducted, covering factors like age, gender, and tooth position. Clinical measurements, pain and edema assessments, and quality of life evaluations through OHIP-14 scores were performed. Preoperative and postoperative mouth opening, trismus, alveolitis and dehiscence were evaluated., Results: A total of 100 patients were included in our study. No significant gender-based differences were found in measurements, pain, or swelling. There was no statistically significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative results of difference A-C, difference B-E, difference A-D, and difference mouth opening. Procedure duration correlated positively with age, alveolar osteitis, trismus, and swelling. Postoperative quality of life, assessed by OHIP-14, demonstrated a negative correlation with age and trismus. It was observed that the gender and the tooth positions of the patients had no effect on the severity of postoperative pain and edema., Conclusions: As the age of the patients increases and the duration of the procedure increases, the rate of postoperative complications increases and it is concluded that the quality of life decreases significantly., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Wastewater management has become crucial for sustaining biological life in the near future. One of the key aspects is integration of treatment processes aiming reuse of treated water for many purposes instead of water discharge. This study focused on combining two different methods, photo-Fenton-like oxidation, and adsorption, for treatment of real textile wastewater to improve water quality to be reused for irrigation. The real textile wastewater was collected from a local plant and subjected to photo-Fenton-like oxidation and adsorption as hybrid process. The operational parameters were optimized for each step by assessing the water quality according to the domestic regulations for irrigation water. The photo-Fenton-like oxidation itself was not successful to achieve the targeted water quality for reuse whereas adsorption as an additional step made the treated water reusable in terms of organic content. But the treated water still contained a certain amount of salinity due to extreme salt usage in textile processing. It was concluded that the treated water at the end of hybrid process could be used for salinity resistant plants such as sugar beet, barley, and cotton which demonstrates a promising contribution to the circular economy for biomass., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: COVID-19 is known to be transmitted by direct contact, droplets or feces/orally. There are many factors which determines the clinical progression of the disease. Aminoacid disturbance in viral disease is shown in many studies. İn this study we aimed to evaluate the change of aminoacid metabolism especially the aspartate, glutamine and glycine levels which have been associated with an immune defence effect in viral disease., Methods: Blood samples from 35 volunteer patients with COVID-19, concretized diagnosis was made by oropharyngeal from nazofaringeal swab specimens and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and 35 control group were analyzed. The amino acid levels were measured with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry technology. Two groups were compared by Kolmogorov-Smirnov analysis, Kruskal-Wallis and the Mann-Whitney U . The square test was used to evaluate the tests obtained by counting, and the error level was taken as 0.05., Results: The average age of the patient and control group were 48.5 ± 14.9 and 48.8 ± 14.6 years respectively. The decrease in aspartate (p = 5.5 × 10 -9 ) and glutamine levels (p = 9.0 × 10 -17 ) were significiantly in COVID group, whereas Glycine (p = 0.243) increase was not significiant., Conclusions: Metabolic pathways, are affected in rapidly dividing cells in viral diseases which are important for immun defence. We determined that aspartate, glutamine and glycine levels in Covid 19 patients were affected by the warburg effect, malate aspartate shuttle, glutaminolysis and pentose phosphate pathway. Enteral or parenteral administration of these plasma amino acid levels will correct the duration and pathophysiology of the patients' stay in hospital and intensive care., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare that there are no potential conflicts of interest regarding the research, authorship and publication of this article., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Association of Clinical Biochemists of India 2022.)

The buckling behavior of sandwich shells with functionally graded (FG) coatings operating under different external pressures was generally investigated under simply supported boundary conditions. Since it is very difficult to determine the approximation functions satisfying clamped boundary conditions and to solve the basic equations analytically within the framework of first order shear deformation theory (FOST), the number of publications on this subject is very limited. An analytical solution to the buckling problem of FG-coated cylindrical shells under clamped boundary conditions subjected to uniform hydrostatic pressure within the FOST framework is presented for the first time. By mathematical modeling of the FG coatings, the constitutive relations and basic equations of sandwich cylindrical shells within the FOST framework are obtained. Analytical solutions of the basic equations in the framework of the Donnell shell theory, obtained using the Galerkin method, is carried out using new approximation functions that satisfy clamped boundary conditions. Finally, the influences of FG models and volume fractions on the hydrostatic buckling pressure within the FOST and classical shell theory (CT) frameworks are investigated in detail.

In this study, photo-Fenton-like oxidation method was evaluated for synthetic sugar industry wastewater using visible-light driven Cu-BiOI photocatalyst. Reaction conditions including initial pH, catalyst loading, initial hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) concentration, and temperature, were optimized. At these optimized conditions, the total saccharide concentration (TSC) and total organic carbon (TOC) removals were 56.20% and 30.67%, respectively whereas the maximum TSC and TOC removal reached up to 93.35% and 74.72% respectively by decreasing initial sucrose concentration. The kinetic study showed that the reaction order for sucrose and TOC oxidation was determined as 2 for pseudo-homogeneous power law models with respect to sucrose concentration and TOC, respectively.For heterogeneous models, Langmuir-Hinshelwood model based on the mechanism of adsorbed pollutant and oxidant on different catalytic sites was the best fit for oxidation of sucrose and other organic intermediates. According to the catalyst characterization studies, incorporation of copper was successful and Cu-BiOI possesses high photocatalytic activity accomplished by acid-assisted synthesis method., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Eosinophils constitute 1%-5% of peripheral blood leukocytes, less in the presence of acute infections (referred to as eosinopenia). Studies indicate that eosinopenia can be used as a prognostic predictor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation, sepsis, or acute myocardial infarction disease. There are only a few studies about predicting mortality in emergency departments and intensive care units (ICUs). Prognostic studies about patients in ICUs are generally carried out using different scoring systems. We aimed to analyze if the eosinophil count can estimate the prognosis among non-traumatic patients who underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation and were hospitalized in ICU thereafter., Methods: The data were evaluated of 865 non-traumatic adult patients (>18 years of age) who were admitted with cardiopulmonary arrest or developed cardiopulmonary arrest during clinical follow-ups. Admission venous blood sample tests, complete blood count, and biochemical laboratory results were recorded. Arterial blood gas results were also evaluated. The mean results of the recorded laboratory results were compared between the surviving and non-surviving patients groups., Results: There was a significant difference between the two groups in regard to platelet, eosinophil count, pH, PaO 2 , SaO 2 , and HCO 3 - (P<0.001 for all). In the multiple linear regression analysis, eosinophil counts were found to be an independent factor (odds ratio=0.03, 95% confidence interval 0.33-0.56, P<0.001) associated with the mortality after cardiopulmonary resuscitation., Conclusion: Because admission eosinophil counts can be measured easily, they are inexpensive biomarkers that can be used for predicting the prognosis among the patients who have return of spontaneous circulation and are treated in ICUs.

Background: The aim of the present study is to compare the dental anxiety levels between two outpatient clinics., Methods: Two hundred and seventy patients treated in two different clinics of minor oral surgery and dental extraction polyclinic in the Dental Faculty of Eskisehir Osmangazi University were included in the study. The impacted third molar surgery group and conventional dental extraction group consisted of 101 and 169 patients, respectively. The Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and Dental Fear Scale (DFS) were used to measure anxiety levels in patients treated in both clinics. Tests were made in an isolated room preoperatively. The differences in anxiety levels according to education status and gender were also evaluated., Results: The impacted third molar surgery group showed a significant increase in dental anxiety measured with DFS questionnaire ( p < 0.05). However, MDAS revealed that there was no difference between anxiety levels between the impacted third molar surgery and conventional dental extraction groups ( p > 0.05). There was also no difference in anxiety levels between patients with different education status ( p > 0.05). Female patients demonstrated higher levels of anxiety in both MDAS and DFS indexes ( p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Dental anxiety may be higher in patients treated with impacted third molar surgery compared with conventional dental extraction. The education status of patients may not affect dental anxiety. Female patients may show increased levels of dental anxiety in conventional dental and impacted third molar extractions., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Omur Dereci et al.)

Introduction: To compare the treatment methods of enucleation and decompression with regards to reduction of the dimension of the cystic defect with the aid of a software program., Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with regular controls of 3, 6, and 12 months treated between January 1, 2013, and January 1, 2021, were selected and included in the study. Sixteen patients were treated with enucleation and 14 patients with decompression. All preoperative and control radiographic and clinical data were retrieved from the archives. The area measurement of cystic cavities was made on panoramic radiographs taken at preoperative (T0), 3-month (T1), 6-month (T2), and 12-month (T3) control periods with a software program. Intra-group and inter-group analyses were made to compare the reduction of cystic defects between two treatment methods., Results: The mean age of study patients was 45.2 ± 7.3. Eighteen of them were male and 12 of them were female. Statistically, a significant difference was not observed between decompression and enucleation groups at T0, T1, T2, and T3 control periods ( P > 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the defect dimensions between all control periods in both decompression and enucleation groups ( P < 0.05)., Discussion: Decompression and enucleation of jaw cysts are both successful in reducing cystic cavities. However, there is no superiority between the two treatment modalities regarding the defect reduction at the 12-month control period., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Annals of Maxillofacial Surgery.)

Objective: Ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA), seen in adults, is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the levels of mean platelet volume (MPV), mean platelet volume-to-platelet count ratio (MPVPCR), mean platelet volume-to-lymphocyte ratio (MPVLR), and red cell distribution width platelet count ratio (RDWPCR) in patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm., Methods: 105 patients admitted to the emergency department were diagnosed with thoracic aortic aneurysm between January and December 2014, and 100 healthy individuals were involved in this retrospective study. MPV, MPVLR, MPVPCR and RDWPCRs were calculated at the time of admission., Results: Platelet and lymphocyte levels were found to be significantly lower in the patient group when compared to the healthy group (P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively), while MPV, MPVPCR, MPVLR and RDWPCR were found to be significantly higher (P<0.001, P<0.001, P<0.001, and P=0.013, respectively). In the patient group, the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein was significantly higher (P<0.001), and the neutrophil (P=0.062) was also higher. In ROC analysis, MPVPCR had the highest sensitivity (80%) and RDWPCR had the highest specificity (72%)., Conclusion: The results for MPV, MPVPCR, MPVLR and RDWPCR can be evaluated as useful parameters in the emergency clinical approach in the evaluation of inflammatory activity in ATAA patients. More extensive studies are required to address the role of these parameters in determining the severity of the disease.

Aim: Noscapine, a naturally occurring alkaloid obtained from opium poppy, is a microtubule-targeting agent. This study is aimed to investigate the effects of noscapine on human breast cancer cell lines by comparing them with those of tamoxifen and docetaxel., Methods: MCF-7 and MDA MB-23 cell lines were used to observe the effects of docetaxel, tamoxifen, and noscapine on cell proliferation. For each drug, cell blocks were prepared from cultured cells treated with IC50 dose of each drug and these were examined histologically. The expressions of Ki-67, Bcl-2, BAX, and cyclin-D1 were assessed immunohistochemically., Results: Although noscapine showed cytotoxic effects on both cell lines in a time and dose dependent manner, MDA-MB-231 cells were more susceptible to its effects. Noscapine inhibited MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells proliferation in vitro with IC50 value of 29 µM and 69 µM, respectively, which was comparable with IC50 of tamoxifen (40 µM and 50 µM) and docetaxel (43 nM and 32 nM). Noscapine showed anti-proliferative effects by decreasing Ki-67, cyclin-D1 and apoptotic effects by increasing BAX/Bcl-2 ratio in both breast cancer cells. Its effect was comparable with tamoxifen and docetaxel., Conclusion: Noscapine may be a good chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of breast cancer, especially in estrogen receptor‑negative breast cancer (Tab. 2, Fig. 7, Ref. 40).

In biology, the activity of enzymes is usually regulated by feedback loops, which enables direct communication between enzymes and the state of the cell. In a similar manner, with the intention to have automated activity regulation, the therapeutic effect of a photosensitizer ( BOD1 ) is shown to be reduced through a negative feedback loop initiated by the photosensitizer. Photodynamic action produces cytotoxic 1 O 2 and this reactive oxygen species reacts with ascorbate, generating H 2 O 2 . Peroxide-mediated oxidation of the photosensitizer auxiliary group leads to the formation of inactive BOD2 from the parent photosensitizer. BOD1 is shown to accumulate in mitochondria, and cell viability is shown to decrease significantly with BOD1 compared to the loop end product, BOD2 . Photoinduced enhancement of fluorescence indicates the formation of inactive BOD2 under cellular conditions, and enhanced fluorescence acts as a reporter for the activity of the photosensitizer. We present the first example of PDT autoinactivation, and such a feedback control mechanism would enable a decrease in post-therapy side effects., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest.

This research focused on the abatement of the model food dye, tartrazine, using visible light photo-Fenton oxidation with novel bismuth oxyhalide catalysts. Bismuth-oxyhalide and metal doped bismuth oxyhalide catalysts (BiOCl, Cu-BiOCl, and Fe-BiOCl) were synthesized via the facile co-precipitation method. The catalysts were characterized by SEM-EDX, XRD, BET, and DRS analyses and the results showed that Cu-BiOCl possess a unique flower-like nanostructure with narrow band gap (2.53 eV) which enhanced its visible light photocatalytic activity remarkably which was proven by catalyst screening experiments. A detailed experimental study was carried out to investigate the effects of operating parameters on the degradation and decolorization of the dye and from this the optimum values were determined as 0.25 g/L for photocatalyst loading, 100 W for visible light power, 6 for initial pH, 6 mM for initial H 2 O 2 concentration, and temperature of 70 °C. Approximately 91% degradation, 95% decolorization, and 59% TOC reduction were obtained at optimum conditions. The results for the kinetic study showed that the degradation and decolorization reactions are in the pseudo-first order and obey the simplified Langmuir-Hinselwood kinetic model. The activation energies were calculated as 86.54 and 69.39 kJ/mol for degradation and decolorization, respectively., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Oxygen free radicals are important components involved in the histopathologic tissue alterations observed during abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). This study examined whether melatonin has protective or therapeutic effects against AAAs., Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups. A CaCl 2 model was used to induce AAA. Starting on the operation day (Mel+AAA+Mel group) or 4 weeks after the operation (AAA+Mel group), the rats received intraperitoneal melatonin (10 mg/kg/day) for 6 and 2 weeks, respectively. The control and AAA groups received vehicle for 2 weeks after the sham operation and AAA induction, respectively. Angiographic measurements were recorded at the beginning, week 4, and week 6 of the study. After decapitation, aorta tissues were taken for the measurement of malondialdehyde, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, glutathione levels, and myeloperoxidase and caspase-3 activity. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, tumor necrosis factor-α, and inducible nitric oxide synthase protein expressions were analyzed by Western blot technique. Aortic tissues were also examined by light microscopy., Results: CaCl 2 caused an inflammatory response and oxidative damage indicated by rises in malondialdehyde and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels. Myeloperoxidase and caspase-3 activities were increased, but glutathione levels were reduced. On the one hand, MMP-2, MMP-9, tumor necrosis factor-α, and inducible nitric oxide synthase protein expressions were increased in the vehicle-treated AAA group. On the other hand, melatonin treatment reversed all of these biochemical indices and histopathologic alterations., Conclusions: According to the data, although melatonin tended to reverse the biochemical parameters given on week 4, the preventive effect is more pronounced when given concomitantly with AAA induction because values were closer to the control levels., (Copyright © 2016 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: This study presents the current prevalence of anxiety, mood, and personality disorders as well as factors associated with the existence of psychiatric disorders in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)., Methods: The study sample comprised 46 patients with BPPV and 74 control subjects. Anxiety and mood disorders were ascertained via the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition/Clinical Version. Personality disorders were diagnosed via the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM, Revised Third Edition, Personality Disorders., Results: Of the 46 patients, 18 (39.1%) had at least one mood or anxiety disorder and 13 (28.3%) had at least one personality disorder. The most common Axis I and Axis II disorders in the patient group were major depression in 8 (17.4%) and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder in 10 (21.7%) patients, respectively. It was found that major depression (p=0.021), generalized anxiety disorder (p=0.026) and obsessive- compulsive personality disorder (p=0.001) were more prevalent in the BPPV group compared with the control group., Conclusion: Results suggest that psychiatric disturbances should be carefully checked in patients with BPPV due to the relatively high rate of comorbidity., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.

The role of vitamin D in calcium absorption and bone health is known. The studies revealed that vitamin D modulates breast cancer cell growth and it is also associated with a reduced breast cancer risk. The primary objective of this study was to highlight the metabolic effect of Vitamin D on MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. For that purpose, we checked the apoptosis, energy, amino-acid and acylcarnitine levels in cancer cells, that the study propose, that 1α, 25(OH)2D3 could inhibit cell growth in a dose and time dependent manner. IC50 dose was calculated as 145 nM for vitamin D. We observed the apoptosis level in vitamin D groups, which were 18, 28 and 38.5 % at 24, 48 and 72 hours, respectively. During metabolic screening analysis, it was observed that glutamine, methionine and glutamic acid levels were treated more by Vitamin D groups in cell line and also, that acylcarnitine level was increased in 24 and 48 hour groups when compared to the control, but decreased in 72 hours. Further studies are needed to analyze the role of amino acids and acylcarnitines for early apoptosis and cancer metabolism (Tab. 2, Fig. 4, Ref. 24).

Background: Methicillin resistance is a serious health concern since it has spread among Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) that are frequent community and nosocomial pathogens worldwide. Methicillin-resistant strains are often resistant to other classes of antibiotics, making their treatment difficult. Nigella sativa oil is known to be active against Gram-positive cocci, yet its in vitro cytotoxicity is rarely investigated, is a proper and powerful candidate for treatment of methicillin-resistant isolates., Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity effect of N. sativa oil., Materials and Methods: The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of N. sativa oil were determined by broth microdilution method against four different American Type Culture Collection strains, 45 clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and 77 methicillin-resistant CoNS (MRCoNS). The effects of different dilutions (0.25 μg/mL, 0.5 μg/mL, and 1 μg/mL) of N. sativa oil on the proliferation of gingival fibroblasts were evaluated., Results: The MIC values of N. sativa oil against clinical isolates of Staphylococci were between <0.25 μg/mL and 1.0 μg/mL. Compared to the control group, there was no cytotoxic effect on the proliferation of the gingival fibroblasts., Conclusion: In the present study, the oil of N. sativa was very active against MRSA and MRCoNS and had no in vitro cytotoxicity at relevant concentrations. These findings emphasize that there is a requirement for further clinical trials on N. sativa oil for "safe" medical management of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococci ., Summary: The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of Nigella sativa oil against Staphylococcus aureus American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) 29213, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 standard strains were 0.5 μg/mL, 2 μg/mL, 64 μg/mL, and 64 μg/mL, respectivelyThe N. sativa oil showed an excellent antibacterial activity against clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci with very low MIC range of <0.25-1.0 µg/mLThe N. sativa oil exhibited no cytotoxic effect on the proliferation of the gingival fibroblasts. Abbreviation used: ATCC: American Type Culture Collection; CLSI: Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute; CoNS: Coagulase-negative Staphylococci; DMEM: Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium; DMSO: Dimethyl sulfoxide; FBS: Fetal bovine serum; HGF: Human gingival fibroblast; MIC: Minimal inhibitory concentration; MRCoNS: Methicillin-resistant CoNS; MRSA: Methicillin-resistant S. aureus.

Background: Our aim was to evaluate electrocardiographic and echocardiographic properties and exercise response of patients with fibromyalgia (FM)., Methods: The study included 60 women with primary FM and 30 healthy individuals. Resting electrocardiography, echocardiography and exercise treadmill test were used to compare these two groups. At apical four-chamber window, samples of transmitral diastolic inflow and tissue Doppler imaging of left ventricle lateral wall were obtained. Left ventricle ejection fraction was measured via modified Simpson's method. Exercise duration, maximal exercise capacity, maximal heart rate (HR) (bpm), maximal HR (%), rate-pressure product at maximal HR (bpm × mmHg), heart rate recovery 1 (bpm), heart rate recovery 2 (bpm) and chronotropic reserve (%) values were calculated., Results: Resting HR and QTc values were similar in both groups. Echocardiographic measurements in both groups did not reveal statistically significant difference except left ventricle end-diastolic diameter and left atrial diameter. Parameters related to diastolic function of the left ventricle did not differ significantly in both groups. Also, there was not any significant difference between the groups for E/E' ratio and chronotropic reserve. Exercise treadmill test results were statistically similar for both groups., Conclusion: Patients with FM presented a normal HR response to exercise and those patients had normal diastolic function similar to their healthy controls.

Purpose: To investigate the association between SPP1 gene polymorphisms and nephrolithiasis., Materials and Methods: A total of 65 pediatric patients and 50 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Two known polymorphisms of the SPP1 gene, c.240T > C and c.708C > T nucleotide substitutions, both of which were also known as synonymous aminoacid polymorphisms, D80D and A236A, respectively, at SPP1 gene cDNA level were investigated. SPP1 gene polymorphism was evaluated using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism method., Results: In c.240T > C polymorphism, C allele frequency [Odds Ratio (OR), 2.13; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.170 to 3.880; P = .013] and CC genotype distribution (OR, 2.946; 95% CI, 0.832 to 10.431; P = .094) and in c.708C > T polymorphism, T allele frequency (OR, 2.183; 95% CI, 1.197 to 3.980; P = .011) and TT genotype distribution (OR, 3.056; 95% CI, 0.861 to 10.839; P = .084) were found to be higher in the patient group., Conclusion: SPP1 polymorphisms were found to be associated with nephrolithiasis and it may be suggested that SPP1 gene polymorphism could be a useful marker for evaluation of the early genetic risk factor in childhood nephrolithiasis.

Objective: In this study, we attempted to analyze the incidence and outcomes of systemic and coronary stent embolizations during percutaneous coronary interventions and have described the treatment and retrieval methods used., Methods: We retrospectively studied 24,038 consecutive coronary angiography procedures carried out at The Baskent University Adana Hospital from 1998 to present to determine the total number of stent embolization events., Results: Among them, 4,797 were consecutive coronary stent operations and embolization was encountered in 14 cases (0.29%; 95% CI = 0.14-0.44%, P < 0.0001). The mean age of the patients was 61 +/- 8 years and 78% were men. Stent embolization occurred more frequently in cases with significant proximal angulation. Calcified lesions were not noted in any of the cases. In 7 out of 14 cases, stent embolization occurred at an unknown location and the clinical course was uneventful thereafter. Treatment and retrieval methods of the other 7 cases included the following: 1. Emergency cardiac bypass surgery (3 cases, 43%) 2. Advancement of a low profile delivery balloon through the stent, inflating the balloon, and replacing the stent at the lesion site (3 cases, 43%) 3. Crushing the stent against the coronary wall using another stent (1 case, 14%) 4. 4-loop snare (1 case, failed) None of the cases had bleeding that required transfusion. The stent was not crushed or deployed in the coronary artery causing major cardiac complication in any case., Conclusion: Systemic and coronary embolizations of stent procedures are rare. Consequences of coronary stent embolization can lead to prompt cardiac bypass surgery if the retrieval or deployment methods fail. Stent deployment or crushing techniques may be attempted before retrieval in patients who do not suffer from coronary thrombosis and myocardial infarction due to stent embolization.

Slow coronary flow (SCF) in a normal coronary angiogram is a well-recognized clinical entity, but its etiopathogenesis remains unclear. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is a noninvasive marker of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the CIMT and diameter of carotid and coronary artery in relation to SCF. Twenty-four patients with angiographically diagnosed SCF (51 +/- 7 years), and 26 age-matched subjects with normal coronary flow (NCF) (52 +/- 8 years) in the coronary angiography were enrolled. Coronary flow rates were documented by thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count (TFC), a simple method for evaluating coronary blood flow. Carotid and coronary artery diameters and CIMT were measured. Mean TFC was significantly higher in patients with SCF than in patients with NCF (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences regarding maximum (p = 0.84) and mean CIMT (p = 0.61). On the other hand, carotid lumen (p = 0.03) and coronary artery diameters (p = 0.001) were significantly greater in patients with SCF than in subjects with NCF. There was a significant relation between mean coronary artery diameter and TFC (p = 0.004, 95% CI for OR: 1.61-11.87). In conclusion, these findings suggest that CIMT is not altered in patients with SCF as compared with those with NCF. However, carotid and coronary artery diameters are increased in patients with SCF as compared to those with NCF. Because the common carotid artery can be assessed in nearly every patient, carotid artery dilatation may be used as an early indicator for SCF.

Heart rate recovery is the difference in heart rate at peak exercise and at a specific time interval following the onset of recovery. Attenuated heart rate recovery is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with a history of coronary artery disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a statin on heart rate recovery, particularly in patients with ischemic heart failure and hyperlipidemia. Twenty-nine consecutive hyperlipidemic, stable coronary artery disease patients with heart failure and 19 healthy subjects were enrolled. Heart rate recovery values at the 1st and 3rd minutes and lipid profiles of the patients were evaluated at baseline and following 3 months of treatment with fluvastatin. Compared with healthy subjects, the heart rate recovery values were significantly lower in the heart failure patients in both the 1st and 3rd minutes, respectively (31 +/- 6 versus 19 +/- 7, P < 0.0001; 66 +/- 7 versus 47 +/- 8, P < 0.0001). Heart rate recovery in the 1st and 3rd minutes increased from 19 +/- 7 to 24 +/- 9 and 47 +/- 8 to 57 +/- 11, respectively, following treatment (P < 0.001, P < 0.001). There were no significant correlations among the changes in lipid parameters or HRR in the first and third minutes in the recovery period. The results revealed an improvement in heart rate recovery in heart failure patients by fluvastatin treatment. If this association can be confirmed by other studies, it would be interesting to perform further studies into the mechanism underlying this finding.

Background: Heart rate (HR) recovery at 1 min is a measure of the vagal reactivation that occurs after cessation of exercise. Despite ample evidence about the association of attenuated HR recovery with increased mortality, pharmacologic modification of this predictor has not been shown. On the other hand, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are known to have vagomimetic activity., Hypothesis: We hypothesized that ACE inhibition would increase HR recovery in a group of subjects known to have reduced HR recovery, namely diabetics., Methods: Maximal treadmill exercise stress test was performed in 31 type 2 diabetic and 31 nondiabetic male subjects with similar age, body mass index, and hypertensive status. None of the subjects had known heart disease or evidence of myocardial ischemia during the test. The diabetic subjects, after 2 weeks of treatment with quinapril, underwent a second exercise test. A third test was performed 2 to 3 weeks after cessation of quinapril treatment., Results: At baseline, despite similar exercise capacity, the diabetics had a lower HR recovery at 1 min than nondiabetics (25 +/- 8 vs. 31 +/- 8 beats/min, p < 0.01). Quinapril significantly increased HR recovery at 1 min in diabetics (25 +/- 8 beats/min at baseline vs. 28 +/- 8 beats/min with quinapril vs. 25 +/- 7 beats/min off-therapy, p < 0.01 by analysis of variance)., Conclusions: The attenuated HR recovery of type 2 diabetics can be improved by quinapril. Whether the improvement in HR recovery with ACE inhibition can lead to decreased mortality is currently unknown.