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Background. The teacher needs to analyse and promptly make changes in each student’s dosage of physical activity in the class. At the same time, students within the group differ from each other in gender, age, physical fitness and health level. Such differences make it difficult to clearly discern the individual characteristics of every student and thus to help them develop their physical data in the best way, choose a proper motor regime to improve their health. The aim of the work is to calculate and analyse the physical health index for 1st-year students of the 2023-2024 academic year at the Russian New University in scores in order to control their physical condition in the discipline “Physical Culture”. Materials and methods. The survey used the methods, tests and computer programmes developed by the Association “People’s Sports Park”. The Association “People’s Sports Park” has a patent of the Russian Federation No. 2147208 for the “Method of assessing physical health reserves and working capacity of the population” and the ownership right to the computer programme processing and evaluating testing results for different categories of the population. Materials of the research: data from 15 tests for the following human body systems: cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, nervous. The tests include measurements made both in the state of relative dormancy and in dynamics. The main method of working with the obtained data was their statistical processing and analysis of its results. Results. The article reflects the findings of the study of the first-year students’ heart rhythm obtained with the use of technical means and recorded in real time. The calculation of the physical health index (PHI) of the first-year students made in the 2023-2024 academic year showed the following distribution: • 34% of the students scored between 3 and 3.9 out of 6 points maximum and have a satisfactory level of health and performance ability; • 41% of the first-year students have an unsatisfactory physical condition, which corresponds to 2.0-2.9 points out of 6 maximum; • 25% of the first-year students have good and excellent health levels, which corresponds to 4-6 points; • 75% of the first-year students have a quality of health that requires perfection and maximum control by specialists.

Introduction. The relevance of the article is determined by the importance of assessing the determinants of fertility to determine the possible prospects for its change and the correct justification of the directions and measures of demographic policy aimed at increasing it. The aim of the study is to identify the determinants of fertility decline in the Republic of Tatarstan in 2020‒2022 in comparison with the pre-pandemic period and to predict their impact. Materials and Methods. The authors have calculated and analyzed the dynamics of age-specific fertility rates in the Republic of Tatarstan. The influence of the structural factor and the factor of birth intensity, as well as the indirect factor ‒ age-specific marriage rates ‒ was estimated. Using the method of age movement, the dynamics of fertility and the impact of these factors on it up to 2042 were forecasted. Results. The decrease in the total fertility rate in the Republic of Tatarstan in 2020‒2022 was due to changes in the sex and age structure of the population. The excess of the total fertility rate of the region over the indicators of the Volga Federal District and the Russian Federation is due to higher total coefficients for first and second births. The difference between the average number of first births for real generations and for calendar years is determined by temporal shifts associated with postponement of first births due to late entry into first marriage and registered marriages. Discussion and Conclusion. It is predicted that the number of young people will decrease until 2028 and the number of births until 2031. The negative impact of the factor of the gender and age structure of the population will last until 2030, in the 2030s the structural factor will contribute to an increase in the overall fertility rate. The research results presented in the article can be used to determine hypotheses regarding fertility prospects when developing forecasts for demographic and socio-economic development. Correct assessment of the determinants of fertility provides grounds for the development of effective measures of demographic policy with regard to fertility.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the data of phylogenetically analyzed nucleotide sequences from the K. pneumoniae strain uge genes carried out in the perinatal center. Materials and methods. Fifty-six sequences of the K. pneumoniae uge gene were analyzed. The uge gene was detected by real-time PCR using DT light amplifier (Russia). Results. The rate of K. pneumoniae strains among patients of obstetric and gynecological departments in 2020–2023 averaged 1.4%. In pediatric hospitals, the isolation of K. pneumoniae strains comprised 12–14% in 2020, 2021 and 2023. In 2022, a fourfold decrease in detected K. pneumoniae strains was recorded. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the nucleotide sequences were significantly grouped into 14 clusters. The K. pneumoniae virulence factor uge gene is found in 64.3% cases. The nucleotide sequences allowed to detect heterogeneous K. pneumoniae strain population isolated from patients at the perinatal center from 2019 to 2023 analyzed by the phylogenetic method. There are clusters that combine K. pneumoniae genovariants isolated in 2019 and not replenished with new isolates, which confirms the effectiveness of ongoing anti-epidemic measures, enhanced during COVID-19 spread, excluding the transmission of an infectious agent from a source to a susceptible organism in nosocomial environment. P249Q, N279L amino acid substitutions within the uge gene were determined, which distinguish hypervirulent strains from those with a lower degree of pathogenicity. Out of five mother-child pairs, in four — nucleotide sequences of K. pneumoniae strain uge gene were genetically closer to each other than to other strains isolated from patients of the Medical Departments suggesting about a high degree of their relationship, highly likely indicating that the source of the strain for the child was the paired mother, and not the patients of the departments or the staff of the institution. In one mother-child pair, K. pneumoniae strains belonged to different clusters. The isolate obtained on 09/06/2021 from neonatal faeces (age: 7 days old) was grouped with strains isolated on 12/12/2020 from a patient in the maternity ward and in Laos in 2013 (CP035196). K. pneumoniae isolated on 06/04/2021 from the urine of a woman, was significantly grouped with strains included in cluster 13. Conclusion. An opportunity for improving local microbiological monitoring by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of K. pneumoniae uge gene has been demonstrated. Assessment of changes in the intraspecies population pattern of HCAI pathogens is necessary for a timely and reasonable response to the deterioration of the epidemiological situation.

Aim. To evaluate the endometrial microbiota in patients with uterine scar defect after cesarean section. Materials and methods. The study included 80 women of reproductive age. The main group included 50 patients with a uterus scar defect due to cesarean section; the comparison group included 30 women with a competent uterus scar due to cesarean section. Patients underwent a Pipelle endometrial biopsy on days 2022 of the menstrual cycle using a double-lumen catheter that excludes sample contamination with vaginal and cervical microflora. A molecular genetic study of the endometrium was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction using the Femoflor 16 reagent kit (DNA-Technology Moscow). The DNA content in the specimen was measured using software and expressed in genome equivalent (GE) proportional to the number of microorganisms. The statistical data were processed using the Exсel software package and SPSS Statistics 22.0. Results. The study showed the following statistically significant differences: lower count of Lactobacillus spp. 2.600 (1.4303.600) GE/mL vs 3.550 (2.8004.700) GE/mL in patients of the comparison group (p=0.02); higher count of Streptococcus and Staphylococcus spp. 3.270 (3.0003.700) GE/mL and 3.450 (3.2003.600) GE/mL vs 1.030 (0.7601.700) GE/mL and 0.560 (0.1201.200) GE/mL in the comparison group, respectively (p0.00001); higher count of Enterobacteriaceae 2.700 (1.7003.300) GE/mL vs 0.950 (0.6601.120) GE/mL in the comparison group (p0.00001); higher count of Gardnerella/Prevotellabivia/Porphyromonas spp. 2.310 (0.9303.480) GE/mL vs 1.000 (0.0001.860) GE/mL (p=0.003); higher count of Peptostreptococcus spp. 0.195 (0.0001.560) GE/mL vs 0.000 (0.000-0.000) GE/mL (p=0.032); Eubacterium spp. 1.355 (0.1002.460) GE/mL vs 0.000 (0.0001.560) GE/mL (p=0.040). Conclusion. Endometrial dysbiosis in patients with a uterus scar defect after cesarean section due to the possible effects of microorganisms can be considered one of the leading causes of the formation of a uterus scar defect in the postoperative period.

Introduction. The family forms the habitus of the child's health-preserving behavior: the presence or absence of bad habits, involvement in sports, food preferences, and the attitude to disease prevention. The article, based on the conducted research, identifies the dependence of various parameters of the health of school-age children on the socio-biological well-being of the family, its lifestyle, life support conditions that contribute to the implementation of family health-preserving practices. Materials and Methods. The research materials used were the data from a survey conducted in 2019 by the Center for Family and Demography Center of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences among parents of students of lyceums, grammar schools, and general education schools, including those with in-depth study of specific subjects (city of Kazan, Arsk and Chistopol municipal districts of the Republic of Tatarstan). The total population of parents of students was 433,706 people, the selection was 325 people. The value, social activity, and generation approaches within the sociological discourse on health issues are aimed at identifying the social determinants of various parameters of adolescent health and their health preservation habitus. Results. The study has identified a number of factors that determine the lifestyle of modern schoolchildren and have a negative impact on their health in the context of significant academic loads, intensification of the educational process, and involvement in intense extra-curricular activities: non-compliance with age regulations of the daily routine; low motor activity; unsatisfactory organization and deterioration of the quality of nutrition in the family; habitus of parents’ behavior, not focused on health preservation. Discussion and Conclusion. The conducted research provides scientific substantiation of and emphasizes the need for measures aimed at increasing physical activity and healthy nutrition of both younger and older schoolchildren in the context of the demographic crisis. Practical application of the conclusions drawn in this study involves formulation of proposals for improving the effectiveness of managerial decisions taken by ministries and departments of the Republic of Tatarstan.

A significant increase in human papillomavirus-associated cervical oncological diseases, a high rate of recurrence of the process (4862.4%) after surgical treatment, changes in the local immune microenvironment in cervical biopsy specimens with (HSIL) created the prerequisites for studying the clinical efficacy of local immunocorrection in complex HSIL therapy. Aim. To study the clinical efficacy of local immunocorrection of azoximer with bromide in the complex therapy of cervical intraepithelial neoplasias. Materials and methods. Examination and treatment of 40 patients with HSIL was carried out. The study of the effectiveness of azoximer bromide in complex therapy in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasias of a high degree of oncogenic risk was carried out on the basis of an immunohistochemical study of cervicobioptates to markers CD3, CD56, CD20, CD138, M-CSF. Results and discussion. It was revealed that cervical intraepithelial neoplasias of a high degree of oncogenic risk are accompanied by changes in the local immune microenvironment in the epithelium and stroma of neoplastic altered tissues, which may contribute to the development of neoplasia progression. The inclusion of a local immunomodulator azoximer bromide in the complex therapy helped to reduce the recurrence of the process by 2 times, the elimination of the human papillomavirus by 3.5 times relative to the comparison group. Conclusion. 1. In cervico-biopsy specimens of patients with HSIL, there is an increase in the proportion of cells with expression of receptors CD20, CD3, CD138 (in stromal cells) and a decrease in epithelial infiltration with M-CSF, which indicates significant changes in immune homeostasis in cells of the affected epithelium. Based on the results obtained, at the stage of preparation for surgical treatment of patients with HSIL, it is advisable to include local immunocorrection to improve the outcome of therapy. 2. The inclusion of a local immunomodulator azoximer bromide in the complex therapy helped to reduce the recurrence of the process by 2 times, the elimination of the human papillomavirus by 3.5 times, which dictates the need for complex immunomodulation in the treatment of HSIL at the stage of preparation for surgery.

The complex (multiple) corpus of Turkisms that is described in this article is the result of a long-standing study of the Turkic layer of Russian vocabulary, which has been formed in a multicultural language environment. The data obtained during analyzing the Turkic lexical elements from ten academic explanatory dictionaries of the Russian language, published within the period from the 18th century till the 21st century, have been involved. A large number of lexicographic parameters in dictionaries of this type make it possible to create an adequate picture of the functioning of lexical units in the Russian literary language. The study uses descriptive, comparative-contrastive and statistical methods. The article fixes various shifts and changes associated with the functioning of the Turkic vocabulary layer during the period under consideration, in particular phonetic-graphic, grammatical, semantic, functional-stylistic changes. In addition, it analyzes the methods of lexicography (dictionary fixation) of loan words, for example, the features of the historical and etymological description of the Turkisms, which, in turn, enables to reveal various inaccuracies and inconsistencies relating to the dictionary description of Turkic words. In addition, the article discloses the advantages of a complex fund of Turkic borrowings of the Russian language, outlines the prospects and possibilities for its use. The information resource being created allows to fix and generalize the changes, characteristic of this circle of loan words of the Russian language.

This paper is a part of an ongoing attempt to reflect on the ways and results related to developing research competence, which is considered as an urgent issue for contemporary higher education in Russia. The polypragmatic approach, the major approach used to study the issue, is an integrity of dialectic, exploratory, synergetic and competence approaches that ensures success and effectiveness in developing student research competence. The new approach in considering the competence paradigm in teaching Humanities is associated with predomination of the synergetic principles aimed at developing their intellectual level, high-tech skills, and skills useful in making appropriate decisions in situations requiring high level of a person’s inner organization, deep understanding of concepts, and ability to convert the knowledge into competencies. The authors try to prove that to effectively apply the best practice, humanitarians, as professionals, must understand the basis and synergy of research. In this regard, research skills have been looked upon as a part of a curriculum redevelopment process that still needs enhancement. The authors consider Humanities student attitudes towards research with regard to their ability to use theoretical and methodological basis needed to form their research competence, and come to a conclusion that the approach implemented have improved student self-perceived competence in conducting a research project. They also share their opinions and findings on the structure and synergy of developing self-efficacy in self-organization and self-transformation when carrying out a research project. The information and findings may be useful for practitioners in humanitarian higher education institutions, as well as for further development and contribution into the process of upgrading the system of higher education in Russia.

Abstract Background Patients’ comfort level during the injection procedure affects the quality of care. However, the literature does not provide a valid, reliable, and specific measurement tool to measure this level. Objective The present study aimed to develop a valid and reliable measurement tool to determine patients’ comfort levels during the injection procedure. Method The study was designed methodologically. The study data were collected at two Hospitals. The sample consisted of 102 patients in the pilot application stage and 186 patients in the main application stage. The study’s data collection tools were the “Personal Information Form,” “VAS for Comfort,” and the “Comfort Scale for Injection” draft. The obtained data were used for validity and reliability analyses. Validity analyses involved content validity, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and criterion validity. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's Alpha and split-half tests. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS 22 and AMOS. EFA used the KMO test and Bartlett’s Test (KMO = 0.878; p

ABSTRACT Objective: This study aimed to examine the experiences of nursing students learning psychomotor skills during the COVID-19 pandemic, the problems they experienced in this process, and their feelings and needs. Methods: This was a qualitative phenomenological study. The research was analyzed descriptively and thematically. The research was conducted in Erzurum in January 2022. The population of the study consisted of 2nd-year students studying at the Atatürk University Faculty of Nursing in the fall semester of the 2021–2022 academic year. The sample consisted of four second-year undergraduate nursing students selected by the criterion sampling method. The research data were collected with an ‘Introductory Information Form’ and a ‘Semistructured Questionnaire’. The content analysis method was used to evaluate the qualitative data. Results: Four themes and three subthemes were identified as a result of the analysis of the data obtained from the interviews with the students. The main themes are inefficiency, expectations from the instructor, emotions, and active learning. It was determined that inefficiency was categorized under the subthemes of “Problems experienced in online education and the limitation of online education in terms of learning psychomotor skills” and “Reasons for inefficiency”. It was determined that there were no subthemes in the themes of expectations from the instructor and emotions. Active learning was found to be under the subtheme of “Getting more efficiency from homework rather than what the instructors teach”. Conclusions: The online education process was inadequate for learning the psychomotor skills of nursing students.

Background: It is unknown if health-care literacy and social media use of the students affect vaccine preferences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: The aim of the present research was to detect whether health-care literacy and social media use of the students affect vaccine preferences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: The universe of the sample consisted of the students of a university in Mus Alparslan University. The sample of the research included students whose last digit of the school number is an odd number. Four hundred and twenty students participated into the study. The data of the study were collected through the “Sociodemographic Characteristics Questionnaire,” “Health Literacy Scale (HLS),” and “Social Media Usage Scale (SMUS).” Results: The total score average of the students on the “HLS” was 42.74 ± 13.85 and the “SMUS” was 21.30 ± 7.38. It was determined that those who have preferred the “Sinovac” vaccine had higher score averages on the “Information Understanding Subdimension” and “HLS” than those who have preferred the Türkovac vaccine. Furthermore, it was determined that the score average of “Continuity Subdimension,” “Competency Subdimension” and “Social Media Use Scale” were higher, and these differences were statistically significant. Conclusion: It was detected that the health literacy (HL) levels of the students were lower and they do not use social media competently. On the other hand, it was determined that social media use and HL affect the vaccine preferences.

The complex (multiple) corpus of Turkisms that is described in this article is the result of a long-standing study of the Turkic layer of Russian vocabulary, which has been formed in a multicultural language environment. The data obtained during analyzing the Turkic lexical elements from ten academic explanatory dictionaries of the Russian language, published within the period from the 18th century till the 21st century, have been involved. A large number of lexicographic parameters in dictionaries of this type make it possible to create an adequate picture of the functioning of lexical units in the Russian literary language. The study uses descriptive, comparative-contrastive and statistical methods. The article fixes various shifts and changes associated with the functioning of the Turkic vocabulary layer during the period under consideration, in particular phonetic-graphic, grammatical, semantic, functional-stylistic changes. In addition, it analyzes the methods of lexicography (dictionary fixation) of loan words, for example, the features of the historical and etymological description of the Turkisms, which, in turn, enables to reveal various inaccuracies and inconsistencies relating to the dictionary description of Turkic words. In addition, the article discloses the advantages of a complex fund of Turkic borrowings of the Russian language, outlines the prospects and possibilities for its use. The information resource being created allows to fix and generalize the changes, characteristic of this circle of loan words of the Russian language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Целью данной статьи является изучение коммуникативно-прагматических особенностей речевого акта благопожелания в татарской коммуникативной культуре. Актуальность исследования обусловлена тем, что исследование речевого акта пожелания татарского народа позволяет переосмыслить коммуникативную культуру в контексте глобализации и диалога культур, выявить коммуникативно-прагматические особенности речевого поведения татар. Понятийную теоретическую базу благопожеланий автор статьи рассматривает в рамках прагматической теории речевого акта, когда иллокутивная связь между говорящим и адресатом определяется сложившимися нормами и традициями того или иного этноса. Коммуникативно-ситуативные группы речевых выражений благопожелания в статье классифицируются как повседневные и торжественные, выявляются их различные коммуникативные ситуации, которые иллюстрируется многообразием татарских речевых клише, фразеологизмами и паремией. Устойчивые выражения благопожеланий в татарской культуре выражают симпатию, внимание, добрые отношения к собеседнику, тем самым они основываются на общепринятых правилах поведения и традиционной культуре этноса. Этнокультурные стереотипы коммуникативного поведения татар тесно связаны с их ментальными и культурными ценностями. В статье также подчеркивается, что основными мотивами благопожелания в татарском речевом акте являются пожелание здоровья, материального достатка, удачи и добра. Анализ речевых формул благопожелания в системе татарской коммуникативной культуре приводит к выводу, что татары остаются верными и постоянными в соблюдении народных обычаев и традиций.

The article is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of transferring Australian сulture-bound lexemes into the Russian language taking the novel by Colleen McCullough “The Thorn Birds” as an example. The comparison of the original and its translation made by Nora Gal made it possible to analyze in detail the semantics of culture-bound lexemes, their stylistic functions in the specific context and the effectiveness of translation techniques employed by the translator. The relevance of the problem discussed is determined by the fact that the problems of translating culturally marked vocabulary are the most difficult problems in literary translation. It is very difficult (and sometimes impossible) to transmit the meaning of such words in full, but the translator should still strive to avoid significant losses in conveying their semantics, stylistic functions and pragmatics. Adequate translation of the considered lexemes, their adaptation to the Russian context are necessary for presenting to the Russian reader a complete panorama of the life in the country described. The purpose of the study was to consider and assess the methods used by the translator for translating culture-bound lexemes in one particular novel. The following methods of analyzing the data were employed: comparative analysis, lexicographic analysis, contextual analysis. The study revealed some losses of culturally significant information, as well as its deformation, i. e. distorted interpretation and unjustified pragmatic adaptation to the host culture. The conducted research allowed to make some conclusions concerning the most optimal ways of presenting Australian culture-bound lexemes in the Russian context, in some cases we offered our own translation solutions

The article is devoted to one of the topical issues of modern pedagogical science - the competence approach in teaching the Russian language in the frame of modern professional education for non-philology students. The main competence, formed in the process of learning the Russian language is a communicative competence, which is aimed at the development of speech activity of students of non-philological specialties. According to the author of the study, the acquisition of professional communication skills, the use of speech influence techniques, and persuasion is a part and parcel of culture of a non-philologist specialist in the high-tech competitive world. In this regard, the purpose of this work is to create pedagogical conditions that ensure the formation of the communicative competence of non-philology students at the university; the definition of pedagogical learning technologies to improve the culture of verbal communication of future specialists; identification of the professional orientation of psychological and pedagogical knowledge. The practical significance of the problem under study is to improve the quality of professional training of non-philology students; in determining the trajectory of the educational growth of a future highly qualified specialist who is able to reasonably choose language means in his professional activity, adequately implement his communicative intentions in various communication situations, follow the rules of Russian speech etiquette and non-verbal communication.

Bu çalışma, enerji alanındaki Rusya-Türkiye-İsrail ilişkilerinde doğal gaz faktörünün rolünü analiz etmektedir. Bu nedenle çalışma, doğal gaz sektöründe, belirtilen ülkeler arasında yapılan anlaşmaları, varolan doğal gaz boru hatları ve doğal gaz alanlarının geliştirilmesi, üretimi ve nakliyesi konuları üzerine hazırlanan uluslararası projeleri ele alıyor. Üç ülkenin enerji politikalarının karşılıklı bağımlılığını göstermek için bu çalışma, Rusya-Türkiye-İsrail "Enerji Üçgeni" ile sonuçlanıyor.

To evaluate the immunity indexes in the children who were born with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) of varying severity at very early delivery terms (22-27 weeks), dynamic examinations were performed in 35 infants: 17 children were with severe BPD; 18, with mild-severity and moderately severe BPD. The comparison group consisted of seven children born at 22-27 weeks of gestational age without signs of BPD. Relative numbers of lymphocyte subpopulations (CD3+, CD4+ , CD8+ , CD19+ , CD16+CD56+, CD4+CD25+), and monocytes (CD14+CD64+ , CD14+ HLA-DR+) were determined by flow cytometry, The level of cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-4) was measured by enzyme immunoassay technique. The features of immune status in children with BPD of severe, mild and moderate severity were discerned. It was found that the predictors of severe BPD development in the children born at very early terms, are: increased content of IL-8 at birth and at the age of 1 month, reduced level of expression on monocytes (CD64, HLA-DR) on the 1 month of life, and CD14+CD64+ cells at 38-40 weeks post conception. The revealed features of immune status in newborns with BPD can be used to assess the effectiveness of the therapy, which requires further research in this direction.

Objective: To determine the myotoxicity of bupivacaine on muscles after suprainguinal fascia iliaca block for postoperative analgesia in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients through changes in serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels during the perioperative period., Study Design: Observational study. Place and Duration of the Study: Postoperative Recovery Room department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Samsun University, Samsun, Training and Research Hospital, Samsun, Turkiye, between December 2022 and February 2023., Methodology: Patients undergoing for the procedure of TKA surgery were recruited. (40 controls and 42 SIFIB groups). Serum CPK levels were evaluated preoperatively, at postoperative 6th hour and 24th hour., Results:  From total 82 patients, 42 of them who received SIFIB as a component of multimodal analgesia had serum CPK levels comparable to those in the control group at all time points (p>0.05). While the increase in CPK level at 6th hour relative to baseline was significant in both groups (p<0.05), only the block group demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the 6th and 24th hours (p<0.05)., Conclusion: SIFIB administration did not result in severe bupivacaine-induced myotoxicity in comparison to the control group. SIFIB administration is a safe option when used as part of multimodal analgesia in TKA., Key Words:  Bupivacaine, Creatine phosphokinase, Myotoxicity, Regional anaesthesia.

This study explored the effects of the germination of red and white sorghum grains ( Sorghum bicolor [Moench (L.)]) for up to seven days on various properties of the grain. Germination enriched sorghum's nutritional and sensory qualities while mitigating existing anti-nutritional factors. The study employed Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy techniques to support its findings. Germination increased protein and lipid content but decreased starch content. White sorghum grains showed elevated calcium and magnesium but decreased iron, potassium, and zinc. Red sorghum grains showed a consistent decrease in mineral content during germination. Germination also increased fiber and lignin values in both sorghum varieties. The results of the FT-IR analysis demonstrate that germination induced significant changes in the molecular structure of white sorghum samples after 24 h, whereas this transformation was observed in red sorghum samples at four days. Total phenolic content (TPC) in red sorghum ranged from 136.64 ± 3.76 mg GAE/100 g to 379.5 ± 6.92 mg GAE/100 g. After 72 h of germination, the germinated seeds showed a threefold increase in TPC when compared to ungerminated seeds. Similarly, the TPC of white sorghum significantly increased ( p < 0.05) from 52.84 ± 3.31 mg GAE/100 g to 151.76 mg GAE/100 g. Overall, during the 7-day germination period, all parameters showed an increase, and the germination process positively impacted the functional properties that contributed to the health benefits of white and red sorghum samples.

Objectives: Delayed healing and non-union of fractures have a significant effect upon patient morbidity. Studies have therefore largely concentrated on accelerating fracture healing. This study was intended to compare the effect of "mad honey" and propolis on fracture healing using radiological and histopathological analysis., Subjects and Methods: Femur fracture was surgically performed on 48 rats, followed by fixation. Animals were then divided into 8 groups: 2 control groups (15- and 30-day) and 6 treatment groups (15- and 30-day normal honey, 15- and 30-day "mad honey," and 15- and 30-day propolis). Rats were sacrificed at the end of these periods, and radiological and histological examinations were performed., Results: Radiological healing in the propolis group after 15-day therapy was statistically better than in the control (p = 0.004) and normal honey (p = 0.006) groups. After 30-day therapy, healing in the propolis group (p = 0.005) and grayanotoxin-containing "mad honey" group (p = 0.007) were significantly better than in the control group. Histologically, there was a statistically significant difference between the 15-day propolis group and the other groups (control, honey, mad honey: p = 0.003, p = 0.003, and p = 0.002, respectively). We also found a statistically significant difference when the 30-day propolis group (p = 0.005) and "mad honey" group (p = 0.007) were compared to the control group., Conclusions: This study shows that grayanotoxin-containing "mad honey" and propolis can accelerate fracture healing., (© 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is the best treatment modality for progression of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. We aimed to monitor changes at the proteome level to identify putative protein biomarkers associated with the response of urothelial precancerous lesions to intravesical BCG treatment. The rats were divided into three groups (n = 10/group): control, non-treated, and BCG-treated groups. The non-treated and BCG-treated groups received N-methyl-N-nitrosourea intravesically. BCG Tice-strain was instilled into bladder in BCG-treated group. At the endpoint of experiment, all surviving rat bladders were collected and equally divided into two portions vertically from dome to neck. Half of each bladder was assessed immunohistopathologically and the other half was used for 2D-based comparative proteomic analysis. Differentially expressed proteins were validated by Western blot analysis. Precancerous lesions of bladder cancer were more common in non-treated group (77.8%) than in BCG-treated group (50%) and the control group (0%). Greater than twofold changes occurred in the expression of a number of proteins. Among them, Rab-GDIβ, aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) and 14-3-3 zeta/delta were important since they were previously reported to be associated with cancer and their expression levels were found to be lower in BCG-treated group in comparison to the non-treated group. ALDH2 and 14-3-3 zeta/delta were also found to be highly expressed in the non-treated group compared to the control group. The down-regulation of these proteins and Rab-GDIβ was achieved with BCG; this result indicates that they may be used as putative biomarkers for monitoring changes in bladder carcinogenesis in response to BCG immunotherapy.

Objectives: Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) is a plant extract obtained from the leaves of the G. biloba tree. The aim of this study was to assess the histological and radiological effects of G. biloba extract on fracture healing in an experimental fracture model using rat femurs., Methods: Forty-eight female Sprague-Dawley rats (weight: 195-252 g; age: 20 weeks) were used in the study. The rats were randomly divided into six groups (n=8). A transverse fracture was made in the middle of the right femur of each rat and fixed with a Kirschner wire. The G. biloba groups received 60 mg/kg oral G. biloba extract once daily. No medication was given to the control groups. On days 7, 21 and 35, both sets of femurs were evaluated radiologically and histopathologically., Results: Histological evaluation revealed that the G. biloba groups had significant differences at 21 and 35 days (p<0.05). The G. biloba group showed a significant difference in terms of bone formation on day 21 when compared to the control group (p<0.05)., Conclusions: This study indicated that the use of G. biloba extract accelerated fracture healing. Both radiological and histological differences were detected, but the histological differences were more remarkable. Level of Evidence I, High Quality Randomized Trial. , Competing Interests: All authors declare no potential conflict of interest related to this article.

Fat mass and obesity-associated protein is an enzyme that oxidatively demethylates DNA. Although there are numerous studies regarding the catalytic function of FTO, the overall existence or absence of FTO on cellular proteome has not been investigated. This study investigated the changes in the soluble proteome of 3T3-L1 cells upon expression of the WT and the mutant (R316Q) FTO proteins. Protein extracts prepared from 3T3-L1 cells expressing either the WT or the mutant FTO proteins were used in DIGE experiments. Analysis of the data revealed the number of spots matched to every member and there were 350 ± 20 spots with 30.5% overall mean coefficient of variation. Eleven regulated protein spots were excised from the gels and identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF. One of the identified proteins was heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K, which displayed more than 2.6- and 3.7-fold increases in its abundance in the WT and the mutant FTO expressing cells, respectively. Western blot analysis validated these observations. This is the first study revealing the presence of a parallel increase in expressions of FTO and HNRNPK proteins. This increase may codictate the metabolic changes occurring in the cell and may attribute a significance to HNRNPK in FTO-associated transformations.

A 61-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with an ulcerated palate mass and swelling of the right parotid gland. Incisional biopsy from the hard palate revealed an extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma, also called mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Final diagnosis was MALT lymphoma of the parotid gland with concomitant involvement of an extremely seldom site of involvement: the hard palate. To our knowledge, this report illustrates the first case of MALT lymphoma of the hard palate and parotid gland without an underlying autoimmune disease. Rituximab-based combination regimen (R-CHOP) provided complete remission with total regression of mass lesions at the hard palate and parotid gland. At 44-month follow-up, there is no disease relapse. We adressed the manifestations and management of MALT lymphoma patients with involvement of salivary gland and oral cavity.

[Purpose] Although oxidative stress is known to be present in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the effects of exercise on oxidative parameters are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acute aerobic exercise on serum oxidant and antioxidant levels in patients with RA. [Subjects and Methods] Sixteen patients with RA and 10 age-matched healthy volunteers participated in this study. All participants wore polar telemeters and walked on a treadmill for 30 minutes at a speed eliciting 60-75% of maximal heart rates. Blood samples were obtained before, immediately and 24 hours after exercise and malondialdehyde (MDA) and total sulfhydrile group (RSH) levels were measured. [Results] Both groups had similar heart rates during the test but the treadmill speed of the RA patients was significantly lower than that of the healthy volunteers. Serum MDA levels were lower than in both groups immediately after exercise, with greater decrements in the RA patients than controls. MDA levels returned to baseline 24 hours after the exercise only in the controls; they remained low in the RA patients. There was a slight increase in serum RSH levels after exercise compared to baseline in both groups. [Conclusion] Moderate intensity treadmill exercise did not have any adverse effect on the oxidant-antioxidant balance. The results suggest that such an exercise may be safely added to the rehabilitation program of RA for additional antioxidant effects. Morever, this antioxidant environment is maintained longer in RA patients.