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The main purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the planned writing model on the writing anxiety, self-efficacy and Turkish course achievement of those learning Turkish as a foreign language. For this purpose, a 6-week planned writing model was applied in the research. The study group of the research consisted of 32 students studying at a public university in Ankara and taking a B2 level Turkish education course for foreigners. The data of the study were collected through the "Writing Anxiety Scale for Those Learning Turkish as a Foreign Language" developed by ªen and Boylu (2017) and the "Writing Skill Self-Efficacy Scale for Foreigners Learning Turkish as a Second Language" developed by Buÿükikiz (2012). According to the findings, there was a significant difference in writing anxiety and writing skills self-efficacy scores by gender variable, while no difference was found by regular reading in native language. In addition, it was observed that the planned writing model had a positive effect on students' writing anxiety, writing skills self-efficacy and level achievement in favour of the post-test.

This research was carried out to determine the effects of fertilizers with MgSO4 applied in the increasing amounts (0, 3, 6 and 9 kg da-1) on the leaf yield, leaf quality and some chemical (Mg, S, N, P, K, nicotine, sugar, chlorogenic and rutin concentration) parameters of tobacco in the field conditions of Tokat/Erbaa and Tokat/Kazova locations in 2017 year. The research was established in three replications according to the randomized block design, and the leaves that reached the harvest maturity were harvested in three hands. According to the results, with increasing doses of MgSO4 application, there was an increase in the leaf yield of the tobacco cultivar grown in Erbaa and Kazova locations. The increase in leaf yield was seen at the dose of 6 kg da-1 of MgSO4 and this increase was 22% in Erbaa location and 6.4% in Kazova location. It was observed that increasing MgSO4 applications caused statistically significant increases in leaf Mg and S concentrations, and the highest increase was observed in the leaf yield at a dose of 6 kg da-1. Nicotine concentration, which is a very important alkaloid component for tobacco, caused a decrease in both locations with MgSO4 application. The results revealed that increasing doses of MgSO4 caused an increase in the yield of tobacco leaves, an increase in leaf Mg and S concentrations, and a decrease in nicotine concentrations.

In this study, effects of foliar Zn sprays at different periods on yield, fruit quality attributes, bioactive compounds and micro-macro elements of ‘Granny Smith’ (Malus x domestica Borkh.) apples ...

The aim of this research is to determine the causes of redundant purchasing behavior of university students and the effects of social media usage on redundant purchasing behavior. Quantitative research method is used in the research and relational screening model is preferred. "Social media addiction" and "sustainable consumption behavior scale" were used in the research. The research group consists of 221 men and 181 women in total, 402 students who studying at Ankara University Faculty of Sport Sciences. In the research, the pre-control of the data was provided and the distribution of normality was examined primarily. From the parametric tests to the data that appear to provide normal distribution; t-Test, One-Way Anova and Correlation tests were applied. According to the findings, it was found that women had a high redundant purchase behavior compared to men. It has been determined that the use of credit cards increases redundant purchases in students and affects daily life. It was observed that unrestrained shopping perception is high among students who are not licensed athletes. As the high income students' redundant purchasing behavior is high, as the time spent on social media increases, social media addiction and redundant purchasing behavior also increase. As a conclusion, it is observed that consumption behaviors are closely related to social media addiction and sustainable consumption behaviors. The suggestions of the findings obtained were tried to be given in the research, including future research

The purpose of this study was to investigate the rate of concordance between indirect- and direct laryngoscopy and final pathology in patients undergoing laryngeal microsurgery.Retrospective case study.This study was conducted in the Otolaryngology clinic of a tertiary center between January 2017 and June 2020. Archives records of 432 patients, who underwent laryngeal microsurgery because of benign and premalignant lesions or malignancy, were examined. The patients were divided into three subgroups according to pathology results: benign lesions, premalignant lesions, and malignancies.There were 400 laryngeal lesions from 385 patients, that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 307 (79.7%) were male and 78 were (20.3%) female. The average age of patients was 52.88 ± 13.21 years. The most common diagnosis was polyp (34.25%) followed by squamous cell carcinoma (27.75%) and Reinke's edema (8.25%) according to final pathology. For the benign laryngeal lesions, a high correlation level was observed regarding the compatibility of the indirect- and direct laryngoscopy diagnosis, and final pathology (P0.001). The laryngeal premalignant lesions and malignancies were significantly more common in older age and male gender (P0.001). Similarly, smoking usage was more frequent in patients with premalignant lesions and malignancy (P0.001). The neutrophil count, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, platelet to lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil to platelet ratio as well as CRP value were significantly higher in malignancy group (P0.05). On the other hand, lymphocyte ratio was smaller in the malignancy group compared with the benign and premalignant lesions, and this difference was significant (P = 0.016).Our study demonstrated a high rate of agreement between the clinical diagnosis and pathology results in patients with benign laryngeal lesions, in contrast to premalignant lesions and malignancies. Also, the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, platelet to lymphocyte ratio, neutrophil to platelet ratio as well as CRP were shown to be increased in patients with laryngeal malignancies.

Salinity is a serious agricultural problem restricting the cultivation of plants in the world and in Turkey, especially seen in arid and semi-arid regions, which limits crop yields and causing large areas remain non-agriculture. Boron (B) deficiency which arises in crop production in different parts of the world has also been shown to be an important nutritional problem in our country. It has been reported in studies carried out in recent years that damage caused by salt stress increased under B deficiency. Sunflower which is one of the Turkey's most important edible oil crops is known to be one of the most sensitive plants to B deficiency. In this study, two sunflower genotypes were tested in order to determine the effect of application B on reducing the effect of salt damage on sunflower under B application in saline and salt-free conditions in hydroponic culture. Dry matter yield of root and shoot of the plants, B concentration and K/Na and Ca/Na ratios were determined in the experiment. According to the results obtained from the experiment, it was seen that the salt addition decreased the dry matter yield of the control, whereas the B applications increased the yield compared to the control application. It has been understood that there is no significant role of B in alleviating of the salt damage and determined that B uptake level of the plant is increased in saline conditions. In addition to these results, differences in sunflower genotypes were observed in resistance to B deficiency and salt toxicity.

In this research, the effects of pre-harvest 0.25% iron treatments on yield, some fruit quality parameters, biochemical properties and micronutrient content of ‘Santa Maria’, ‘Deveci’ and ‘Akca’ pear cultivars were investigated. Effects of iron treatments on yield were found to be significant. While fruit firmness decreased with iron treatments in ‘Santa Maria’ and ‘Akca’ pears, the value increased in ‘Deveci’ cultivar. Besides, total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity also decreased with iron treatments. Effects of iron treatments on individual phenolics were not found to be significant. It was concluded that foliar iron treatments had positive effects in all cultivars.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the anti-ototoxic impact of Ginkgo biloba extract and lycopene on the model of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in rats. MATERIALS and METHODS: Thirty-two Wistar albino rats were examined with the distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) test (MADSEN Capella2; GN Otometrics, ICS Medical, Chicago USA), and they were randomly divided into four groups. Group 1 (n=8) was defined as the healthy control group. Cisplatin was given intraperitoneally as single dose of 12 mg/kg to group 2 (n=8), group 3 (n=8), and group 4 (n=8). Group 2 was determined as ototoxic control group. G. biloba extract (100 mg/kg) was given to group 3, and 20 mg/kg lycopene was given to group 4 with oro-gastric feeding tube daily for 10 days. DPOAE test was repeated on day 10 on all the groups. Finally, histopathological examination was performed. The study has been lead in agreement with the principles by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Review Board at Kocaeli University Medical Center (KOÜ HADYEK- 1/9-14). The animals were treated in accordance with protocols approved by this committee. RESULTS: When DPOAE tests were compared, there was no significant difference in the four groups before the application (p>0.05). At the end of day 10, in groups 2 to 4, statistically significant changes were observed (p

Introduction Crooked or deviated nose is a deviation of the nose from the straight vertical position of the face. Extensive pneumatization of the middle turbinate, also called concha bullosa or bullous middle turbinate (BMT) is known to be one of the possible etiologic factors in nasal obstruction, recurrent sinusitis, and headache. There is no study concerning a link between BMT and crooked nose. Objective To investigate the association between crooked nose and the presence of a BMT. Methods A total of 199 patients who underwent open septorhinoplasty were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative paranasal Computerized Tomography (CT) findings, preoperative photodocumentation, and anterior rhinoscopic examination findings were documented. Of the 199 patients, 169 were found to meet the criteria and were included in the study. CT scans were examined to note the presence of BMT, inferior turbinate hypertrophy, and septum deviation (SD). SDs and crooked noses were classified. Results Ninety-four of 169 patients (56%) presented a crooked nose deformity and seventy-five of 169 patients (44%) presented a straight nose. While 49 (52%) crooked nose patients had a bulbous and extensive BMT, 20 patients with straight nose (26.6%) had a BMT. A statistically significant relationship was found between the presence of crooked nose and BMT, regardless of the side of the disease ( p = 0.011). Conclusion This study revealed a link between crooked nose and BMT.

WOS: 000390502600021, The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of pre-harvest aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG, 250 mgL(-1)) and zinc (0,3% ZnSO4) treatments on pre-harvest fruit drops, internal ethylene concentration (IEC), fruit weight, color characteristics, fruit firmness, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity like quality attributes and antioxidant activity, total phenolics, micro and macro elements of Jersey Mac apples (Malus x domestica). Compared to control treatment, except for 22 July, pre-harvest drops were significantly reduced with all treatments in all measurement times. Zn +AVG treatment was found to be more effective in reducing pre-harvest fruit drops. IEC decreased with AVG, Zn and Zn +AVG treatments. Single AVG treatment was more effective on IEC decreases. While flesh softening was retarded with AVG treatments, Zn treatments stimulated flesh softening. Fruit weights increased with Zn treatments, but decreased with AVG and Zn +AVG treatments. Red color development was retarded with both AVG and Zn + AVG treatments, but stimulated with Zn treatment. SSC significantly decreased in the last measurement date (12 August) with AVG treatment. Compared to control fruits, AVG and Zn +AVG-treated fruits had higher titratable acidity, total phenolics and total antioxidant capacity, but Zn-treated fruits had lower values. All micro element and nitrogen and phosphorus-like macro element contents of single Zn and AVG or Zn +AVG-treated fruits were higher than the control fruits. It was concluded that beside AVG, Zn could also play an active role in retarding pre-harvest fruit drops. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION: Lateral epicondylitis is a disease with unknown etiology that influences %1-%3 of society.(1) The major symptom is a kind of pain which originates from common extensor tendon, spreads out distally and increases with activities. Generally, it depends on using muscles excessively while sport or working and comprises of macroscopic and microscopic ruptures in common extensor origin and especially extensor tendon that are formed while strong grasping and excentric contractions with recurrent, rapid movements of wrist. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of ESWT in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis. METHODS: We evaluated patients with lateral epicondylitis who were admitted to the treatment program and who had not yet received treatment. 60 patients were studied in two groups of 30s. Patients applied treatment 1000 shots 18 hz frequency,1,8 bar point and 1000 shots 21 hz frequency, 1,4 bar peripheral total 2000 shots once a week for three times.Patients in all groups underwent stretching and eccentric strengthening exercises. Socio-demographic properties, dominant hand, affected elbow, existence of trauma or repetative movements and the comorbid diseases, duration of symptoms, triggering factors and clinical examination results created the data. By the assessment of symptoms and signs VAS, algometer, HAQ and PRTEE-T scores were evaluated. RESULTS: At the end of the study, the ESWT-treated group showed statistically significant improvement in all variables compared with the groups (p

The complications of bone anchored hearing aids are very rare. The most seen postoperative complication is soft tissue reaction locally occuring around the titanium implant. Chronic headache is a rarely seen complication related to bone anchored hearing aids application. We presented a patient having complaints of chronic headache and burning sensation after bone anchored hearing aids application. Follow up for one year after the operation, despite the local and systemic therapies, there was no improvement of symptoms and the device was compulsorily removed. This rare complication of bone anchored hearing aids application is reviewied in the literature and probable reasons of failure are discussed.

Objective:This study aimed to compare the efficacies of intratympanic dexamethasone and methylprednisolone in preventing in cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in rats.Methods:Experimental groups of rats (n = 8 each) received intratympanic isotonic saline, intraperitoneal cisplatin and intratympanic isotonic saline, intraperitoneal cisplatin and intratympanic dexamethasone, or intraperitoneal cisplatin and intratympanic methylprednisolone. Distortion product otoacoustic emission thresholds were compared on days 0 and 10 in all rats, and correlations between drug effects and changes in cochlear histology were evaluated.Results:Distortion product otoacoustic emission thresholds were comparable in groups III and IV (p > 0.05). Significant protection against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity was seen in groups III and IV compared with group II (p < 0.05). Dexamethasone and, to a lesser extent, methylprednisolone protected against cellular apoptosis in cisplatin-induced ototoxicity.Conclusion:Dexamethasone (and possibly methylprednisolone) may be clinically useful as an intratympanic chemopreventive agent to treat cisplatin ototoxicity. Future clinical studies should investigate the use of dexamethasone for this purpose in adult patients.

To investigate the effect of transtympanic betamethasone administration on hearing function with histologic correlation, rats were divided into three transtympanic treatment groups: isotonic saline (group I, n = 10), gentamicin (group II, n = 10) and betamethasone (group III, n = 10). Distortion product otoacoustic emission thresholds were compared on day 10. Also histological effects on cellular apoptosis in both the inner and outer hair cells in organ of Corti and spiral ganglion neurons were evaluated. Distortion product otoacoustic emission thresholds were comparable (p > 0.05) between group I and group III in all measurements. Distortion product otoacoustic emission thresholds of group II were significantly elevated in all measurements when compared with group I (p

Aim: Purpose of this study is to assess patients diagnosed with psychogenic hearing loss, who describe hearing deficiency complaints but lack the auditory pathology in audiological examinations, in terms of depression and anxiety levels. Psychogenic hearing loss is presence of hearing deficiency despite the absence of any pathology that could cause hearing loss in auditory system. Purpose of this study is to assess patients diagnosed with psychogenic hearing loss, who describe hearing deficiency complaints but lack the auditory pathology in audiological examinations, in terms of depression and anxiety levels. Material and Methods: In our study 54 female patients, who admitted to our clinic between July 2015 and June 2017 with solely hearing deficiency complaint and had no other complaints including mainly otorhinolaryngology and psychiatric diseases, and 51 healthy female subjects who volunteered to attend our study were compared with regards to their Beck Anxiety and Depression scores.Results: Comparison of mean ages of patients group included in the study and the control group did not reveal any statistically significant difference (p>0.05). No significant difference was observed among groups for both pure tone audiometry and speech sound differentiation scores (p>0.05). Beck Anxiety Scale and Beck Depression Scale scores of the patient group was determined to be statistically significantly greater than that of those control group (p0.001).Conclusion: Psychogenic hearing losses are examined as one of the pseudoneurologic symptoms observed in conversion disorder. Our study results show that women who admit with psychogenic hearing loss had higher depression and anxiety levels than healthy control subject, therefore, points to the necessity for these patients to be evaluated for anxiety and depression and followed up jointly by psychiatry department with regards to psychotherapeutic intervention needs.

Objectives Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), which is a chronic rheumatologic disorder, may be associated with erectile dysfunction (ED). This study aims to investigate the incidence of erectile dysfunction in patients with AS with a control group and to investigate the risk factors for ED. Methods All demographic data were recorded. Participants in both groups filled in the IIEF-5 (International Index of Erectile Function), Beck Depression Index (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Index (BAI) questionnaires, whereas patients with AS additionally filled in Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrological Index (BASMI) and Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) questionnaires. Patients were compared concerning erectile function and predictive factors. Fifty patients with the AS diagnosis and fifty healthy males were included in this study. Results ED of all degrees was present in 38% and 30% of males in the AS group and control group, respectively, with no statistical difference. However, the mean IIEF-EF domain score of the AS group (22.3±7.0) was significantly lower than the control group (25.7±4.3) (p=0.004). In addition, BDI and BAI scores were significantly higher in the AS group. When we have divided patients in the AS group into two, according to the presence or absence of the ED, the mean IIEF-EF domain score of patients with ED was lower than AS patients without ED. No difference was detected in both groups concerning age and the duration of the disease. Patients who had ED in the AS group had significantly higher scores in BASDAI, BASFI, depression and anxiety; however, no significant difference was detected among groups regarding BASMI scores.Mean IIEF score was lower in patients with AS, and this had a negative correlation with BASDAI, BASFI, ASQoL, BDI and BAI scores. Conclusion Erectile function scores were slightly lower in the AS group than the control group in our study. ED risk factors were shown as disease activity and psychological status.

The nasolabial cyst also known as Klestadt’s cyst is a rare non-odontogenic soft tissue lesion of the nasal alar region. Aetiopathogenesis of the nasolabial cysts is controversial. Embryonic and developmental theories were considered at pathogenesis of the nasolabial cyst. In addition, surgical or non-surgical trauma is one of the possible theories. This paper reports a case of a 33-year-old male patient that presented with bilateral nasolabial cysts after rhinoplasty and alar base reduction. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Background The etiology and the effects of the maxillary accessory ostium (MAO) are not well understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between septal deviation (SD) and the presence of an MAO. Methods Paranasal computed tomography (CT) scans of 1104 adult patients were studied retrospectively. Patients with chronic sinusitis, acute sinusitis, nasal polyposis, allergic rhinitis, paranasal sinus tumors, septal perforation, and unilateral or bilateral maxillary sinus hypoplasia/aplasia, as well as patients who had previously had nasal surgery or a history of nasal trauma, were not included in the study. Eight-hundred and seven patients were found to meet the criteria and were included in the study. CT scans were examined to note the presence of SD and MAO and the side of both diseases. Results A total of 807 patients were evaluated. SD and MAO were detected in 572 (70.9%) and 299 (37.1%) patients, respectively. A statistically significant relationship was found between the presence of SD and MAO, regardless of side of the disease (p = 0.002). The side of MAO showed a significant correlation with the direction of SD (p < 0.001). Conclusion Our results revealed a link between SD and MAO. This relationship was correlated with the side of occurrence of the disease.

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the effect of fibromyalgia (FM) on disease activity and quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods: This was a randomized and prospective study conducted in 96 RA patients admitted to our rheumatic diseases outpatient clinic, diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 1987 criteria at least for 2 years. Data composed of demographical properties, painful and swollen joints, duration of morning stiffness, level of pain by Visual Analog Scale (VAS), number of used disease-modifying antirheumatismal drugs (DMARD), and disease duration of all patients. In addition C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), and anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) levels were measured. Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) was used to assess disease activity and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and short form (SF-36) were used to assess the quality of life. FM diagnosis was primarily made on the basis of the ACR 1990 FM criteria. After then, two groups were generated as FM-positive and FM-negative patients. Disease activity (DAS28), quality of life (HAQ and SF-36), morning stiffness durations, numbers of painful and swollen joints, pain levels by VAS, number of DMARDs used, duration of disease, and laboratory diagnosis as well as activity parameters (CRP,ESR,RF, and anti-CCP) were compared between the two groups. Results: There was no significant difference in the duration of morning stiffness, duration of disease, number of used DMARDs, CRP,ESR, RF, and anti-CCP (p>0.05) between the two groups. RA patients with FM showed significantly higher scores of VAS, HAQ, and DAS28 and more painful joints than RA patients without FM; SF 36 scores were significantly lower in FM patents (p

Background Stroke is acute vascular deterioration of cerebral functions and 2nd leading cause of death. As population gets older, as well as the increasing prevalence of stroke and disability from chronic disease, the demand for rehabilitation care will continue to rise. There is need for evidence based rehabilitation approaches and rehabilitation outcomes should be proved by objective questionnairres to qualify the process. Objective To present the functional outcomes of stroke rehabilitation process among functional impairment measure evaluation. Determine the contributing factors on functional gain. Material-methods Retrospectively assessment of data of 142 posttroke patients performed. In addition to demographical and clinical properties, functional outcomes with functional impairment measurement (FIM) and motor evaluation by Brunnstrom Motricitiy Index were recorded. Risk factors for stroke were questionned also. Results The mean of ages was 64.30 ± 11.9 years, male/female ratios were 47.2%/ 52.8%. The functional gain was 20.4% in M-FIM, 14.7% in C-FIM. Better outcomes gained by the patients who stayed longer than 15 days (ANOVA, p: 0.000) and who had hemorrhagic etiology (MannWhitney U, p: 0.048), meanwhile there was no significant difference in gender and plegic side groups on both Motor-FIM and Cognitive-FIM gains (p > 0.05, MannWhitney U). Regression models exhibited highest impact on the M-FIM gain were the admission M-FIM scores and DM (adjusted Rsquare: 0.173, p: 0.000). Admission C-FIM scores had positive correlation with discharge C-FIM scores (r: 0.917, p: 0.000). Although older age was the negative determinant of C-FIM gain (r: -0.202, p: 0.016). We obtained the risk factor distribution 71.8% for HT, 29.6% for CAD, 25.6% for smoking, 16.2% for TIA and 33.1% for DM. All had negative impact on functional outcomes but DM had significantly (regression analysis p Conclusion Improvement by rehabilitation programme determined by FIM scores. Data provided about the poststroke patients and present risk factors. Still there exists similar ratios of risk factors as studies before eventhough prevention recommendations.

OBJECTIVES This study aims to show the effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on platelet activation in patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty-six patients (29 males, 17 females; mean age 48.2±7.6 years; range 40 to 56 years) with severe OSAS with apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) ≥30 were included in this study. Complete blood counts were analyzed and mean platelet volume (MPV) values were compared in patients before and after CPAP treatment at six months. RESULTS The mean MPV values before CPAP were 8.9±1.3 (p

This study supports the proposition that vestibular dysfunction and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) may be considered among the complications due to noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).The aim of this study was to evaluate the audiovestibular functions in patients with NIDDM and to determine if there is any correlation between audiovestibular dysfunction and the duration of the disease.A total of 104 patients diagnosed with NIDDM and 104 nondiabetic control subjects made up the study group. Diabetic patients were also divided into subgroups of ≤7 years and7 years according to the duration of the disease. Pure-tone audiometry (PTA), speech recognition scores (SRS), impedance audiometry, and vestibular function tests (VFT) were performed for all of the patients.Hearing thresholds in all frequencies (except at 500 Hz for bone conduction) and SRS values were statistically significant in patients with NIDDM and control subjects, but there was no statistically significant difference according to the duration of the disease. Statistically significant alterations were present in VFT in patients with NIDDM compared with the control subjects. In the diabetic group, only failure in the saccade test was statistically significant according to the duration of the disease.

Surgery and combinations of traditional treatments are not successful enough particularly for advanced stage head and neck cancer. The major disadvantages of chemotherapy and radiation therapy are the lack of specificity for the target tissue and toxicity to the patient. As a result, gene therapy may offer a more specific approach. The aim of gene therapy is to present therapeutic genes into cancer cells which selectively eliminate malignant cells with no systemic toxicity to the patient. This article reviews the genetic basis of head and neck cancers and important concepts in cancer gene therapy: (i) inhibition of oncogenes; (ii) tumor suppressor gene replacement; (iii) regulation of immune response against malignant cells; (iv) genetic prodrug activation; and (v) antiangiogenic gene therapy. Currently, gene therapy is not sufficient to replace the traditional treatments of head and neck cancers, however there is no doubt that it will have an important role in the near future.

To investigate changes in upper airway volume parameters measured by computerized tomography scans in patients with surgically treated by anterior palatoplasty of whom having pure snoring and mild-moderate obstructive sleep apnea. A prospective study on consecutively anterior palatoplasty performed pure snoring and obstructive sleep apnea patients. Computerized tomography scans were obtained preoperatively and following anterior palatoplasty procedure to measure changes in upper airway volume. Patients underwent diagnostic drug induced sleep endoscopy to assess the site of obstruction. Preoperative and postoperative measurements were compared using student’s t test and Chi-square test. Twenty-two patients (16 men and 6 women, age 48.22 ± 9.23, body mass index 25.85 ± 2.57) completed the trial. Anterior palatoplasty was associated with an increase in total upper airway volume from 4.81 ± 1.73 cm3 before treatment to 6.57 ± 2.03 cm3 after treatment (p

Problem Statement: Writing is important in secondary schools because it underpins the performance of students in most examinations. Writing disposition, which specifically deals with the aspects of students’ attitudes toward writing, has also been studied by some researchers. Purpose of the Study: This study reports on the result of a study on the writing anxiety and writing disposition of Turkish students from different socio-economic status backgrounds studying at public secondary schools. Determining whether there is a significant difference between the secondary school students’ scores from writing anxiety and writing disposition constitutes the research problem of this study. Method: This descriptive study uses a correlational survey model. The participants included 707 students from grade five through eight, who attended two different tests: the Writing Apprehension Scale and Writing Disposition Scale. Findings: The results showed that three of the six variables under study (gender, attitude toward Turkish language courses, and grade level) were statistically significant for the Writing Apprehension test. Additionally, four out of six variables analyzed were statistically significant for the Writing Disposition test. A positive linear relationship between writing anxiety and writing disposition levels was found. Apparently, the more students liked Turkish course, the more anxious they became; a significant difference was found for the variable “positive attitude toward Turkish courses” for both scales. The results also showed that female students are more likely to encounter writing anxiety than male students. Conclusion and Recommendations: The severity of writing anxiety should be dealt with carefully as it can prevent students from becoming competent writers. The link between writing anxiety and writing disposition proposed in this article further explores the advantages and disadvantages of these two aspects of writing. It is recommended that writing anxiety be studied in different contexts because further understanding the reasons for anxiety when students produce qualified writing can be elaborated in this way. Keywords: Turkish course, secondary school students, writing instruction, writing disposition, writing anxiety

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between upper airway morphology and apnea vs hypopnea predominance in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome. METHODS: A retrospective study on consecutively CT scans obtained from 54 OSA patients and 53 non-snoring controls. CT scans were measured to evaluate upper airway and surrounding structures' morphologic characteristics. OSA patients (matched for age, gender and body mass index) compared as two groups; apneic group: apnea ratio >50% and hypopneic group: hypopnea ratio >50%. Morphologic characteristics were analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis test and Pearson’s correlation test. RESULTS: Apneic group (17 patients) showed 76.56% apnea rate and hypopneic group (37 patients) showed 78.46% hypopnea rate. Minimal lateral and anteroposterior dimensions of velopharynx in the apneic group (0.86 ± 0.73 and 0.21 ± 0.13 cm, respectively) was statistically lesser from that of the hypopneic group (1.2 ± 0.42 and 0.54 ± 0.22 cm, respectively). Minimum cross-sectional area of the velopharynx was also lesser in apneic group (0.21 ± 0.16 cm(2)) than that in hypopneic group (0.65 ± 0.38 cm(2)). Almost all upper airway parameters in both apneic and hypopneic groups were tended to be smaller than in controls. CONCLUSION: Decrease in airway volume does not signify the type of respiratory event, but significant narrowing of velopharynx in both dimensions; thus having the narrowest value below a certain level causes more apnea. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: We did not find a similar study when we did a literature search, showing the relationship of apnea vs hypopnea predominance and upper airway parameters in CT in patients with OSA.

To investigate the effect of intranasal splint removal time on patient comfort and possible complications after septoplasty. One hundred and nine patients who had septoplasty operations were included in this study. The patients were divided into three groups. In the 1st group (n = 36), splints were removed on the 3rd day after septoplasty; in the 2nd group (n = 36), splints were removed on the 5th day; and in the 3rd group (n = 37), splints were removed on the 7th day. Pain and nasal fullness were evaluated with visual analog scale. Synechia, perforation, hematoma, infection and hemorrhage were recorded after the removal of the splints (postoperative 1, 8 and 24 weeks). For the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd groups, respectively, pain score was 1.96, 2.67, and 2.67; and nasal fullness score was 6.23, 6.04, and 5.48. Nasal synechia was detected in two patients in the 1st group and in one patient in the 2nd group. Early hemorrhage was detected in two patients in the 1st group and one patient in the 3rd group. Infection, septal perforation and hematoma were detected in three patients in the 1st group. There was no difference in hemorrhage, hematoma, synechia and perforation rates between the three groups. There are various opinions in the literature about the ideal removal time of intranasal tampons after septoplasty, but there is no consensus on this topic. Our study shows that removal time of intranasal splints has no effect on patient comfort or possible complications.

Head and neck cancer imaging is especially necessary for staging. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are the techniques frequently used for this purpose. These methods are valuable for displaying detailed anatomical structures; however, they may be inadequate for making the distinction between recurrence, residual tumor, fibrosis, and normal tissues with an altered anatomy after treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy and for the detection of metastases. From this point, positron emission tomography may be a promising imaging method. Scanning the entire body with a single method is an important advantage of positron emission tomography. It may be useful in the detection of synchronous tumors, which are a serious problem in head and neck cancers. Positron emission tomography may provide additional contribution for neck metastases, where the primary site is unknown and is undetectable by other imaging techniques.

The purpose of this study was to show the clinical characteristics of microtia and congenital aural atresia cases in Turkey and to make the classification. For this purpose, records of 28 patients with microtia who were admitted to the ENT Clinic of Eskisehir Military Hospital, Turkey, between 1995 and 2011 and 3 patients admitted to the ENT outpatient clinic of Kocaeli Derince Education and Research Hospital, Turkey, were analyzed retrospectively. Of the total 31 patients with microtia (35 microtic ears), involvement of the right ear of 20 patients (64.5%), the left ear of 7 patients (22.5%), and bilateral involvement in 4 patients (12.9%) were observed. There was a unilateral involvement in 27 patients (87.1%). According to the Marx grading, 2 patients (5.7%) had grade 1 malformation, 3 (8.6%) had grade 2 malformation, 29 (82.9%) had grade 3 malformation, and 1 (2.9%) had grade 4 malformation (anotia). Although the characteristics of microtia vary in different population, the results in Turkey are consistent with those in the literature.

Apocrine hidrocystomas are uncommon cystic proliferations of the apocrine secretory glands. Maxilla is an unexpected involvement site for these tumors. Our study represents the first case of an apocrine hidrocystoma of the maxilla excised by an intraoral (sublabial) approach, being the first to define the radiologic findings of apocrine hidrocystoma on this region. This case is an extremely rare type in terms of the unusual symptomatology, location and size of the tumor. In this article, clinical presentation, surgical findings, histopathological features and treatment of this rare lesion were discussed.

This study was conducted to evaluate the oxidant/antioxidant balance (oxidative stress status) and plasma essential trace element levels in patients with bronchial asthma or allergic rhinitis.A total of 94 individuals consisting of 19 allergic asthmatics; 17 non-allergic asthmatics; 22 patients with allergic rhinitis; and 36 healthy control people were enrolled into this study. Superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity as antioxidant defence mechanism parameters, along with malondialdehyde (MDA) as a marker of lipid peroxidation, were determined in erythrocytes of patient groups and controls. Plasma copper and zinc levels were also determined in all groups.CuZnSOD activity was significantly lower in all groups of patients (p0.001 for allergic asthmatics, p=0.008 for allergic rhinitis patients, and p0.001 for non-allergic asthmatics) when compared to those of controls. Erythrocyte GSH-Px enzyme activity was not different when compared to that of the control group. Similarly, the patient groups had no difference from those of the controls with respect to erythrocyte MDA levels. While plasma Cu levels in all asthmatic patients were not different from those of the controls, allergic rhinitis patients had significantly elevated (p0.001) Cu levels compared to those of the controls. No statistically significant difference was established between patient groups and controls with respect to plasma zinc levels.While defective CuZnSOD activity observed in all patients groups was expected to cause an increase in lipid peroxidation indicated by high MDA levels in these patients groups, the fact that MDA levels were not different from those of controls in all patient groups indicates that other components of anti-oxidant defence system preserve their functions in these patients. On the other hand, statistically significant difference between all patients groups and controls with respect to trace elements was only observed in allergic rhinitis patients who had higher levels of Cu than those of controls.

Objective:We report a rare case of sialadenoma papilliferum.Method:A case report of sialadenoma papilliferum is presented.Results:A 67-year-old woman presented with recurrent epistaxis. She was found to have an exophytic, well circumscribed mass on the nasal septum mucosa. The lesion was completely excised. A diagnosis of sialadenoma papilliferum was made based on the characteristic histological pattern. Follow up showed no evidence of recurrence. Subsequently, the patient remained well without complaint of epistaxis.Conclusion:To our knowledge, this is the first report in the world literature of sialadenoma papilliferum of the nasal cavity. This case indicates that this rare tumour can present with epistaxis, and can be resolved by means of total excision.

Background Osteoporosis is a common complication of ankylosing spondylitis (AS); but the etiology of osteoporosis has not yet been completely clarified. It is thougt that the immobilization, local proinflammatory cytokines, genetic factors, non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and glucocorticoids used for treatment are the major causative factors of osteoporosis. It was reported that in patients with AS, the high disease activity was releated with the alterations in vitamin D metabolism and increased bone resorption. Objectives The relationship among bone turnover markers, Vitamin D levels, disease activity, functional status and quality of life in patients with AS were investigated in this study. Methods One hundred patients (69 males, 39 females; mean age 40,74±9,81 years) were diagnosed as AS according to modified New-York criteria were enrolled. In addition to the routine blood and urine tests, serum 25-(OH)D3, serum 1,25-(OH)D3, bone turnover markers (osteocalcin for formation and and serum C-terminal telopeptide (CTX) for resorption), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels of all participants were also measured. Anterior–posterior and lateral thoracic and lumbosacral radiography was performed on all participants and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Radiology Index (BASRI) was calculated. The disease activity was evaluated by Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and two AS disease activity scores (ASDAS) including the CRP and ESR, functional status by Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), mobility by Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI), quality of life with Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of life Scale (AsQL). Results The mean BASDAI, BASFI, ASDAS-ESR, ASDAS-CRP, AsQL, BASMI, BASRI were 2,04±1,91, 1,82±1,97, 2,11±0,77, 1,99±0,85, 5,27±5,86, 7,29±2,35 respectively. The mean 25-(OH)D3, osteocalcin, CTX values were 13,76±9,08, 23,36±7,26, 0,40±0,17 repesctively. The present study didn9t show any correlation between both serum D3 levels, osteocalcin levels and BASDAI, BASFI, ASDAS-ESR, ASDAS-CRP, AsQL, BASMI and BASRI (p>0.05). We couldn9t find any correlation between CTX and BASDAI, BASFI, ASDAS-ESR, ASDAS-CRP, and BASMI (p>0.05). There were negative correlation between CTX and AsQL (p: 0.019, r: -0.234) and positive correlation between CTX and BASRI scores (p:0.002, r: 0.304). Conclusions Our study showed that CTX as bone resorption marker was correlated with radiological score and quality of life in patients with AS. References Mermerci Baskan B, Pekin Dogan Y, Sivas F, Bodur H, Ozoran K. The relation between osteoporosis and vitamin D levels and disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis. Rheumatol Int. 2010;30(3):375–381 Arends S, Spoorenberg A, Bruyn GA, Houtman PM, Leijsma MK, Kallenberg CG, Brouwer E, van der Veer E: The relation between bone mineral density, bone turnover markers, and vitamin D status in ankylosing spondylitis patients with active disease: a cross-sectional analysis. Osteoporos Int 2011, 22:1431-1439. Disclosure of Interest : None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4154

We report auricular hematoma cases caused by mobile phones. A 32-year-old male and a 23-year-old female presented with auricular hematoma, having no significant histories of trauma. The patients underwent simple hematoma aspiration. Hematoma re-accumulated in the first case. Incision and drainage were performed, and then auricular skin was stabilized by suturing a gauze pad over the area. Both patients recovered without sequelae after treatment. Judging from these cases, we want to postulate that prolonged mobile phone use may cause auricular hematoma.