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The Assimilation is one of the Phonological Rules that explains many changes in the sounds of many words. And Imam Abū al-Baqāʾ al-ʿUkbarī paid much attention in his important book “Iʿrāb al-qirāʾāt alshawāz”, whose topic was the performance of the Rare Qur’anic readings.Then, the Assimilation was one of the ways of voice Orientation that Al-Ukbari relied on in syntax those readings that he studied and analyzed. for that this study aims to stand on al-ʿUkbarī's implementation of this phonetic law in the interpretation and Orientation of many of the Rare readings that he dealt with in his book; Which indicates his interest in this law and awareness of its importance.

تعد المماثلة الصوتية أحد القوانين الصوتية المهمة التي تحكم علاقة الأصوات بعضها ببعض في التركيب الواحد، ومن ثم يفسر على ضوئها كثير من التغيرات الصوتية التي تعتري الأصوات في حال تراكبها معا في كثير من الكلمات، وقد كان للإمام أبي البقاء العكبري (ت 616/1219) مزيد اهتمام بها في كتابه المهم (إعراب القراءات الشواذ)؛ حيث كان موضوع الكتاب الأداءات القرائية الشاذة للقرآن الكريم، ومن ثم كانت المماثلة الصوتية أحد سبل التوجيه الصوتي التي اتكأ عليها العكبري في إعراب تلك الأداءات التي تناولها بالدرس والتحليل.ويهدف هذا البحث من خلال دراسته المماثلة الصوتية – قانونا وظاهرة صوتية- في كتاب (إعراب القراءات الشواذ) إلى الكشف عن موقع تلك الظاهرة وأهميتها عند أبي البقاء العكبري، كما يهدف إلى الوقوف على مدى استفادة العكبري منها ومن وعيه بها في توجيه الأداءات القرائية المختلفة للقرآن الكريم، وخاصة تلك التي جمعها في كتابه المذكور.ويرجع اختيار البحث كتابَ (إعراب القراءات الشواذ) خاصة إلى ما لهذا الكتاب من أهمية بالغة في المجال الذي ينتمي إليه، فهو علامة بارزة في تراث توجيه القراءات الشاذة في العربية، بل إنه ليس من المبالغة أن يوصف بأنه عمدة في بابه، وإليه مرجع كل ما جاء بعده من مؤلفات، إضافة إلى المادة الصوتية عامة، ومادة المماثلة الصوتية خاصة في كتاب (إعراب القراءات الشواذ) بما اقتضى البحثَ في تلك المادة والوقوف عليها بالدرس والتحليل للإفادة من آراء العكبري الصوتية فيها وتوجيهاته لمواضعها.أما عن الإجراء الذي اتبعه البحث فكان الوصف والتحليل لما رُصد من نماذج المماثلة الصوتية وصورها وآراء العكبري حولها في كتابه (إعراب القراءات الشواذ)؛ وقد تم تصنيف تلك النماذج والإشارات بحسب نوع التأثير الحادث في كل منها، هل هو تأثير كلي أو جزئي، وهل هو تأثير متصل أو منفصل، وهل هو تأثير مقبل أو مدبر.وسيتولى البحث تعريف المماثلة الصوتية تعريفا موجزا، ثم بيان المقصود بكل نوع من أنواع التأثير التي تنتج عنها المماثلة الصوتية، مع عرض نماذجه الواردة في كتاب إعراب القراءات الشواذ، وتحليل إشارات العكبري فيها ومناقشتها في ضوء أقوال غيره من القدماء من ناحية وفي ضوء معطيات الدرس الصوتي الحديث من ناحية أخرى.وخلصت الدراسة إلى أن العكبري على الرغم من أنه لم يستخدم مصطلح (المماثلة الصوتية) أو غيره مما شابهه وقاربه من مصطلحات استخدمها المحدثون؛ فإنه كان على وعي بفعل قانون المماثلة الصوتية وأثره في بعض التغيرات الصوتية التي وقف عليها في بعض ما أورده من أداءات قرائية في كتابه (إعراب القراءات الشواذ)، ومن ثم اعتمد على المماثلة الصوتية في توجيه تلك الأداءات. كذلك خلصت الدراسة إلى أن جميع صور التأثير الصوتي الذي يؤدي إلى حدوث المماثلة الصوتية كانت ممثلة في إشارات العكبري للمماثلة، وفي توجيهاته وتحليلاته للأداءات القرائية، وكانت عباراته في ذلك واضحة جلية، بما يمكننا معه القول بأن المماثلة الصوتية بتفاصيلها -بصفتها ظاهرة صوتية- كان لها حضورها البارز في التفكير اللغوي عند أبي البقاء العكبري وهو ما وقفنا عليه من خلال كتابه أعراب القراءات الشواذ., Ses benzeşmesi, tek bir terkip içerisindeki seslerin birbirleriyle olan ilişkilerini ifade eden en önemli ses olaylarından biridir. Bu anlamda ses olayları, pek çok kelimenin terkip olarak geldiği durumlarda, meydana gelen ses olayları bu değişiklikleri açıklamış olur. Modern dilbilim uzmanları kadar eski Arap dil âlimlerinin de bu konuyla ilgilendiği görülmektedir Ebü’l-Bekâ el-Ukberî, (ö. 616/1219) İ’râbü’l-kırââtiş’ş-şevâz adlı eserinde "Kur’ân-ı Kerim’in Şaz Kıraatleri Bahsinde" bu konuya değinmiş olup ilgili bölümde, söz konusu konuya kayda değer bir ehemmiyet göstermiştir. Bundan dolayı ses benzeşmesi el-Ukberî’nin incelediği ve analiz ettiği uygulamaları (kıraat edaları) i'rab ederken dayandığı ses ile ilgili tevcih yollarından biriydi.Bu araştırma, İ’râbü’l-kırââtiş’ş-şevâz adlı kitapta ses benzeşmesi "fonetik göstergebilim" kapsamında Ebü’l-Bekâ el-Ukberî'nin eserinde nasıl ve ne şekilde ele alındığını ve buna binaen ilgili konunun önemini ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Ayrıca Ukberî’nin ilgili kitabının Kur’ân-ı Kerim’in çeşitli kıraat uygulamalarının özellikle zikredildiği bir kitap olması hasebiyle, çeşitli kıraat uygulamalarının neler olduğunu ve ne ölçüde yararlandığını belirlemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırmamıza konu olan “İ’râbü’l-kırâ’âtş’ş-şevâz” kitabının seçilme sebebi, söz konusu kitabın alanında oldukça büyük öneme haiz olmasından kaynaklanmaktadır. Bu kitap Arapçada şaz kıraatlere yön vermesi açısından âdeta bir mihenk taşı mesabesindedir.. Onu kendi alanında bir temel olarak vasıflandırmak mübalağa olmaz ve kendisinden sonra yazılmış kitaplara kaynaklık etmiştir. Genel olarak ses olaylarına ve özellikle “İ’râbü’l-kırâ’âtş’ş-şevâz” kitabında da yer alan ses benzeşmesi konusunda araştırma yapmak için, Ukberî’nin ses konusundaki görüşlerinden ve ele aldığı meselelerden istifade etmek gerekmektedir.Araştırmanın takip ettiği yönteme gelince ses benzeşmesi örnekleri ve çeşitleri ile Ukberî’nin “İ’râbü’l-kırâ’âtş’ş-şevâz” kitabında bunlarla ilgili gözlemleri ve görüşlerini analiz etmek için analitik ve nitel araştırma yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Bu örnekler ve işaretler, tam veya Yarı, yakın veya uzak, ilerleyici veya gerileyici olmak üzere her biri üzerindeki etki türüne göre sınıflandırılmıştır.Araştırmada, ses benzeşmesi kısaca tarif edilecek sonra “İ’râbü’l-kırâ’âtş’ş-şevâz” kitabında yer alan ses benzeşmesi ile ilgili örnekler sunulacaktır. Buradan hareketle ses benzeşmesiyle neticelenen her bir etki türünün ne anlama geldiği açıklanacaktır. Ardından Ukberî’nin bu konudaki işaretlerini ve tartışmalarını, eski âlimlerin sözleri ışığında ve ses olayları ile ilgili teorik veriler ışığında analiz edilecektir. Araştırma, Ukberî ve modern dönemdeki âlimler, (ses benzeşmesi) ve buna benzer ıstılahları açık bir ifadeyle kullanmamalarına rağmen; Ukberî’nin ses benzeşmesi kuralını ve etkisini “İ’râbü’l-kırâ’âtş’ş-şevâz” adlı kitabında referans olarak aldığı, bazı kıraat uygulamalarında işaret ettiği ve bazı ses değişiklerinin farkında olduğu, bu nedenle uygulamalara yönlendirmede ses benzeşmesine dayandığı sonuçlarına ulaşılmıştır.Ayrıca araştırmada ses benzeşmesinin ortaya çıkmasına neden olan ses etkisinin tüm çeşitlerinin Ukberî’nin ses benzeşmesi işaretlerinde ve onun kıraat uygulamalarına ilişkin işaretlerinde ve analizlerinde yer aldığı sonucuna da varılmıştır. Onun bu konudaki ifadeleri açık ve nettir ki, ses benzeşmesinin detaylarıyla birlikte -ses olgusu olarak- Ebü’l-Bekâ el-Ukberî’nin dilbilimsel düşüncesinde belirgin bir varlığı olduğunu söyleyebiliriz. Bunlar, onun “İ’râbü’l-kırâ’âtş’ş-şevâz” adlı kitabı aracılığıyla üzerinde durduğumuz ve ulaştığımız sonuçlardır., Assimilation is one of the major phonological rules that explain how sounds in a phrase change and get more like each other. In this sense, relationships among sounds in phrases in which words come together explain such changes. It is seen that both modern-day linguists and ancient scholars of the Arabic language have been interested in this issue. Imām Abū al-Baqāʾ al-ʿUkbarī (d. 616/1219) addressed it in a chapter on Qur’anic recitations in his major work “Iʿrāb al-Qirāʾāt al-Shawādh” and paid a special attention to it. Assimilation is one of the ways of voice orientation that al-ʿUkbarī relied on while examining and analyzing the ways of recitation.This study not only aims to reveal how assimilation is addressed within the scope of "phonology" in Abū al-Baqāʾ al-ʿUkbarī’s book titled “Iʿrāb al-Qirāʾāt al-Shawādh” but it also aims to unearth the importance of the relevant subject. Furthermore, as al-ʿUkbarī’s book is a work in which various recitation practices of the Qurʾān are specifically mentioned, this study aims to determine what various recitation practices are and to what extent they are useful.The reason for choosing the book "Iʿrāb al-Qirāʾāt al-Shawādh", which is the focus of the present study, is that it is of immense importance in its field. It functions as a benchmark in terms of guiding shādh recitations in Arabic. It would not be exaggeration to describe it as a seminal work in this field, and it has been a major work of reference for later books. It is necessary to benefit from al-ʿUkbarī’s views on sounds and the related issues he addresses when carrying out research on sound phenomena in general and more specifically assimilation, which is also included in the book " Iʿrāb al-Qirāʾāt al-Shawādh".As for the method followed by the research, analytical and qualitative research methods were used to analyze the examples and types of assimilation, along with the related observations and opinions in al-ʿUkbarī’s book "Iʿrāb al-Qirāʾāt al-Shawādh”. The cases of assimilation are classified based on the type of impact: full or partial, coalescent or distance, progressive or regressive assimilation.In this study, assimilation is succinctly described; then some examples in the book "Iʿrāb al-Qirāʾāt al-Shawādh" are presented. Building upon this, the meaning of each type of effect that results in assimilation is explained. Then, al-ʿUkbarī’s ideas and discussions on this issue is analyzed not only in the light of the words of earlier scholars but also that of of the nature of sound phenomena.The results of the present study revealed that although al-ʿUkbarī and modern-day scholars do not use assimilation and similar terms explicitly, al-ʿUkbarī elaborated on the assimilation rule and its effect in his book titled "Iʿrāb al-Qirāʾāt al-Shawādh", stressed it in some recitation practices and was aware of some phonetic changes, and therefore he took assimilation as a point of reference for various practices. In addition, it was concluded that all types of sound effects that produce assimilation are included in al-ʿUkbarī’s remarks about assimilation and his ideas and analyses related to recitation practices. His statements on this subject are clear and precise; we can say that assimilation with all its specific details, as a sound phenomenon, assumes a distinctive place in al-ʿUkbarī’s linguistic thought. These are the conclusions we reached through his book "Iʿrāb al-Qirāʾāt al-Shawādh".

Konut alanında, kullanıcıların hızla artan ihtiyaçlarını karşılamak için endüstriyel inşaat tekniklerinin kullanılması gerekliliği çağdaş, teknolojik ve sosyal gelişmelere paralel olarak ortaya çıkmaktadır. Günümüzde yaşanan sosyal, ekonomik ve teknolojik gelişmeler yaşadığımız mekanları ve yaşam koşullarımızı doğrudan etkilemektedir. Nüfus artışı, ulaşımda yaşanan zorluklar, yapı alanlarındaki değer artışı, doğal kaynakların sınırlılığı, enerji verimliliği gibi sorunlar bizi limitli bir alanda yaşamaya zorlamaktadır. Tüm bu değişikliklere ek olarak, aile yapılarında kullanıcı sayılarındaki değişim veya alan kullanımlarının niteliği gibi meydana gelen değişiklikler de bulunmaktadır. Meydana gelen tüm değişikliklere rağmen, kullanıcı bu sınırlı ve sabit alanda yaşamak zorunda kalmaktadır. Bu durum, kullanıcının yaşam kalitesini olumsuz olarak etkilemektedir. Kullanıcı yaşam kalitesini yükseltmek için, değişikliklere ayak uydurabilecek özel ve esnek bir konuta ihtiyaç duymaktadır. Konutların değişen ihtiyaçlara bağlı olarak giderek bireyselleşmesi ve esneklik bağlamı çalışmanın ana problemi olmaktadır. Tez çalışması, konutun iç mekanının hızlı ve ekonomik olarak nasıl dönüşebileceğine odaklanmaktadır. Bu bağlamda öncelikli olarak seri üretim ve kitlesel bireyselleştirme kavramları tartışılmış, sonrasında esneklik kavramı üzerinden prefabrik konut örnekler incelenmiştir. Yapılan literatür çalışması sonrasında konut iç mekanlarının bireyselleşmesi ve esnekliğini sağlamak adına yenilikçi bir prefabrik model geliştirilmiştir. Prefabrike sistemlerin bireyselleştirme ve esneklik açısından konut üzerindeki etkisi üzerine yapılan çalışmalar inceledikten sonra yeni bir öneri sunmadan önce kullanıcılar ile evleri arasındaki ilişkinin mevcut durumunu incelemek için bir anket çalışması yapılmıştır. Yapılan anket çalışmasının çıktıları tasarım parametresi olarak el alınmış ve iç mekanlar için yeni bir prefabrik yapı sistemi tasarımı önerilmiştir. Çalışmanın birinci bölümü konuya giriş niteliği taşımakta olup, çalışmanın amacı, kapsamı ve yöntemi üzerinde durulmaktadır. İkinci bölümde, seri üretim ve kitlesel bireyselleştirme kavramları ve onların mimarlık alanında yapılan çalışmalardan sonra iç mimarlık ölçeğinde etkileri üzerine kavramsal bir çerçeve oluşturmak amacıyla yapılan literatür çalışması sunulmuştur. Üçüncü bölümde ise konut tasarımında esneklik kavramı ve mimarlıkta esnekliği sağlamak için önemli olan araçlar ele alınmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, tarihsel süreç içinde konut özelinde tasarlanmış olan esnek konut modelleri incelenmiştir. Bunula birebir konutta esnekliğin önemleri ekonomik ve sürdürülebilirlik açısından netleştirildi. Ve ondan sonra konuttaki esneklik seviyesi, ayarlama ve değişiklik yapma kolaylığına ve hızına bağlı olarak değişikliklerin niteliğine ve ölçeğine bağlı olarak esneklik türleri belirtilenmiştir. Dördüncü bölümde yeni bir model önermeden önce günümüz kullanıcılarının bireyselleşme adına konutlarında yaptıkları düzenlemeleri değerlendirmek ve kullanıcı ile evi arasındaki genel durumu anlamak ve ortaya koymak üzere 20-60 yaş aralığındaki 120 kişiye bir anket çalışması yapılmıştır. Anketin kurgusu ve bulguları bu bölümde yer almaktadır. Anket bulguları ışığında NAWA modelinin kurgusu oluşturulmuştur. NAWA Prefabrik İç Mekân Sistemi'nin bileşenleri ve bir araya gelme prensipleri tasarlanmış ve belirlenmiştir. Bölümün sonunda ise NAWA ile yapılan örnek konut projelerine yer verilmiştir. Beşinci bölümde ise çalışma ile ilgili genel sonuçlar ve öneriler sunulmuştur. In parallel with contemporary, technological and social developments, the necessity to use industrial construction techniques in order to meet the rapidly increasing needs of the users in the housing field arises. Today, social, economic and technological developments directly affect the spaces where we live in and even our living conditions. Problems such as rapid population growth, difficulties in transportation, the increase of value of construction sites, limitation of natural resources and energy efficiency force us to live in a limited area. In addition to all of these changes, there are also differences in family structures such as the variety in the number of households or the way of using spaces. Despite all the changes that have occurred, the user has to live in these limited and fixed areas. This situation negatively affects the life quality of the person. In order to increase the quality of life of the user, there is a need for a unique and flexible house that can adapt to changes. The customization and flexibility of the houses depending on the changing needs is the main problem focused in this study. This thesis focuses on how the interior space of a house can be rearranged and modified rapidly and economically. In this context, the concepts of mass production and mass customization were discussed, and then prefabricated housing examples were examined through the concept of flexibility. After the literature review, an innovative prefabricated model was developed in order to provide customization and flexibility to the interior design of the houses. After analyzing the effect of prefabricated systems on housing in the terms of customization and flexibility based on previous studies, a survey was conducted to examine the current state of the relationship between the users and their homes before proposing something new. The results of the survey were considered as design parameters and a new prefabricated construction system design was proposed for interior spaces. The first chapter of the study is an introduction to the subject. Then it is focusing on the purpose, scope and method of the study. In the second chapter, a literature review is presented to develop a conceptual framework on the concepts of mass production and mass customization and their effects in the field of architecture. In the third chapter, the concept of flexibility in housing design and principles that are important for providing flexibility in architecture are discussed. Within this context, flexible designs and buildings that are designed specifically for housing in the historical process have been examined. Afterwards, the types of flexibility are specified depending on the level of flexibility in the residence, the ease and speed of arranging and making changes, and the nature and scale of the changes. Before proposing a new model in the fourth chapter, a survey was conducted to evaluate the arrangements made by today's users in their homes for customization. Alos, the set-up and findings of the survey are presented in this chapter. The structure of the NAWA model was created in the light of the findings of the survey. The components of the NAWA Prefabricated Interior Space System and their combination principles have been designed and defined. At the end of the chapter, sample housing interiors created with NAWA. In the fifth chapter, the general results and recommendations about the study are presented.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has had different waves within the same country. The spread rate and severity showed different properties within the COVID‐19 different waves. The present work aims to compare the spread and the severity of the different waves using the available data of confirmed COVID‐19 cases and death cases. Real‐data sets collected from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science were used to perform a comparative study between COVID‐19 different waves in 12 countries with the highest total performed tests for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 detection in the world (Italy, Brazil, Japan, Germany, Spain, India, USA, UAE, Poland, Colombia, Turkey, and Switzerland). The total number of confirmed cases and death cases in different waves of COVID‐19 were compared to that of the previous one for equivalent periods. The total number of death cases in each wave was presented as a percentage of the total number of confirmed cases for the same periods. In all the selected 12 countries, Wave 2 had a much higher number of confirmed cases than that in Wave 1. However, the death cases increase was not comparable with that of the confirmed cases to the extent that some countries had lower death cases than in Wave 1, UAE, and Spain. The death cases as a percentage of the total number of confirmed cases in Wave 1 were much higher than that in Wave 2. Some countries have had Waves 3 and 4. Waves 3 and 4 have had lower confirmed cases than Wave 2, however, the death cases were variable in different countries. The death cases in Waves 3 and 4 were similar to or higher than Wave 2 in most countries. Wave 2 of COVID‐19 had a much higher spread rate but much lower severity resulting in a lower death rate in Wave 2 compared with that of the first wave. Waves 3 and 4 have had lower confirmed cases than Wave 2; that could be due to the presence of appropriate treatment and vaccination. However, that was not reflected in the death cases, which were similar to or higher than Wave 2 in most countries. Further studies are needed to explain these findings.

Conventional hemodialysis (HD) is the most common treatment modality used for renal replacement therapy. The concept of HD is based on the diffusion of solutes across a semipermeable membrane. Hemofiltration (HF) is based on convective transport of solutes; hemodiafiltration (HDF) is based on combined convective and diffusive therapies. Data about survival benefit of on-line HDF (OL-HDF) over high-flux HD (HF-HD) is conflicting. We conducted this study to investigate if there is a survival difference between the two treatment modalities. This study is a retrospective, single-center study in which 78 patients were screened; 18 were excluded and 60 patients were analyzed. The study patients were aged 47.5 ± 20.7 years, 33 patients (55%) were on HF-HD, and 27 patients (45%) were on OL-HDF. A total of 24 patients (40%) of both groups were diabetic and, the mean duration on dialysis was 43.5 ±21.3 months in the HF-HD group and 41.2 ± 22.0 months in the OL-HDF group. The mean substitution volume for OL-HDF was 22.3 ± 2.5 L. Survival was 73% [95%, confidence interval (CI) 60-84] in the HF-HD group and 65% (95%, CI 54-75) in the OL-HDF group by the end of the study period. The unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) with 95% CI comparing HF-HD to high-volume postdilution OL-HDF was 0.78 (0.10-5.6; P = 0.810). Kaplan-Meier analysis for patient survival over five years showed no significant difference between the two modalities. Prospective controlled trials with a larger number of patients will be needed to assess the long-term clinical outcome of postdilution OL-HDF over HF-HD.

Although the outcomes of ABO-incompatible (ABOi) kidney transplant recipients are quite favorable, these patients are at increased risk of early antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and graft loss. Some studies have also shown high mortality in the ABOi group mainly due to increased risk of infections. The AMR rates have been reported anywhere from 50% in the literature. The outcomes of the ABOi kidney transplants in the Saudi population are not known. In this study, we aimed to determine the graft and patient survival in ABOi kidney transplant recipients in the Saudi population. We included all adult patients who underwent ABOi transplantation between 2007 and 2016. All patients received rituximab, therapeutic plasma exchange, thymoglobulin, intravenous antibiotics, and intravenous immunoglobulin. The maintenance immunosuppression was prednisone, mycophenolate mofetil, and tacrolimus. The data were collected from a prospectively maintained database. A total of 77 patients were included in the study. The most common blood group mismatch was A to O (44.2%), followed by B to O (26.0%) and A to B (16.9%). In the 1st year, 17% of patients developed acute cellular rejection and AMR occurred in 7.8% of patients. Two patients were diagnosed with BK nephropathy. In the 1st year, urinary tract infection occurred in 25 (32.5%) patients. No patient was diagnosed severe viral or fungal infection. In the 1st year, four grafts were lost (graft survival of 94.8%); all grafts were lost within two weeks, three due to AMR and one due to technical reason. One year patient survival was 100%. In this study of ABOi kidney transplant recipients, we observed low risks of infectious complications with excellent patient and graft survival. Our immunosuppressive protocol can be considered safe.

The application of microRNAs (miRNAs) as potential biomarkers and therapy targets has been widely investigated in many kinds of cancers. Recent advantages of serum miRNAs open a new realm of possibilities for non-invasive diagnosis and prognosis of bladder cancer (BC). The aim of our study was to identify plasma miR-92a, miR-100 and miR-143 expression signatures in patients with BC to introduce new markers for establishing BC diagnosis and prognosis. Blood samples were collected from 70 BC patients and 62 controls. An expression of three target miRNAs (miR-92a, miR-100 and miR-143) was measured using quantitative real-time PCR method. Results were correlated with clinicopathological data and analysed. Plasma levels of miR-92a, miR-100 and miR-143 were significantly lower in BC patients than in control group. Receiver operator characteristic analysis revealed that the sensitivity and specificity values of miR-92a were 97·1% and 76·7%, respectively, with a cut-off value of 0·573. The sensitivity and specificity values of miR-100 were 90% and 66·7%, respectively, with a cut-off value of 0·644. The sensitivity and specificity values of miR-143 were 78·6% and 93·3%, respectively, with a cut-off value of 0·164. This study explores the existence of specific plasma miRNAs as early diagnostic biomarkers for BC in Egyptian patients; and these findings suggest that plasma miR-92a, miR-100 and miR-143 could be promising novel circulating biomarkers in clinical detection of BC.

Background Renal ischemia/reperfusion injury is a major cause of acute renal failure. The lack of validated early biomarkers for predicting acute kidney injury (AKI) has hampered our ability to initiate potentially preventive and therapeutic measures in an opportune way. We tested the hypothesis that plasma renalase is an early biomarker for ischemic renal injury after cardiac surgery. Patients and methods We prospectively evaluated 40 adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery. Patients were divided into the AKI group and the non-AKI group on the basis of whether they developed postoperative AKI within 48 h after surgery. Plasma renalase levels were measured before surgery and 24 h after surgery. The primary outcome was AKI diagnosed using the Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria. Results Twenty-five (62.5%) patients developed AKI after surgery. Plasma renalase decreased significantly from a mean of 1.2±0.46 ng/ml at baseline to 0.9±0.42 ng/ml 24 h after cardiopulmonary bypass, with a mean %change of 27±14.8 in the AKI group. Univariate analysis showed a significant correlation between AKI and the following: %change in plasma renalase, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and aortic cross-clamp time. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that for %change in plasma renalase concentrations at 24 h, the area under the curve was 0 · 9, sensitivity was 0.92, specificity was 0 · 87, and likelihood ratio was 7.07 for a cutoff value of 9% change. Conclusion Plasma renalase %change is more valid compared with renalase before or after procedure and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in the prediction of AKI and represents a novel and highly predictive early biomarker for AKI after cardiac surgery.

Background. Fasting during the lunar month of Ramadan is mandatory to all healthy adult Muslims. Renal transplant recipients are often worried about the impact of fluid and electrolyte deprivation during fasting on the function of their allograft. We aimed to examine the effect of fasting Ramadan on the graft function in renal transplant recipients.Methods. This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent kidney transplantation in our tertiary referral center. Baseline pre-Ramadan estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and urinary protein excretion were compared to those during and after Ramadan within and between the fasting and non-fasting groups.Results. The study population included 280 kidney transplant recipients who chose to fast during the Ramadan month (June-July 2014) and 285 recipients who did not fast. In the fasting group, baseline eGFR did not change from that during or post-Ramadan (72.6±23.7versus72.3±24.5 mL/min/1.73 m2,P=0.53; and72.6±23.7versus72±23.2 mL/min/1.73 m2,P=0.14, respectively). Compared to baseline, there were no significant differences between the fasting and the non-fasting groups in terms of mean percent changes in eGFR, MAP, and urinary protein excretion.Conclusion. Fasting during the month of Ramadan did not have significant adverse effects on renal allograft function.

Raw meat can harbor pathogenic bacteria, potentially harmful to humans such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 causing diarrhea and hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HS). Therefore, the current study was carried out to evaluate the prevalence and the molecular detection characterization of E. coli serotype O157:H7 recovered from raw meat and meat products collected from Saudi Arabia. During the period of 25th January 2013 to 25th March 2014, 370 meat samples were collected from abattoirs and markets located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia “200 raw meat samples and 170 meat products”. Bacteriological analysis of the meat samples and serotyping of the isolated E. coli revealed the isolation of 11 (2.97%) strains of E. coli O157:H7. Isolation of E. coli O157:H7 in raw beef, chicken and mutton were 2%, 2.5%, and 2.5%, respectively, however, there was no occurrence in raw turkey. The incidences of E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef, beef burgers, beef sausage, ground chicken and chicken burgers were 5%, 10%, 0.0%, 5% and 0.0%, respectively. The multiplex PCR assay revealed that 3 (27.27%) out of 11 E. coli O157:H7 isolates from raw beef, chicken and mutton had stx1, stx2, and eae while 5 (45.45%) E. coli O157:H7 isolates from ground beef, ground chicken, and raw beef had both stx1 and stx2. However, from beef burgers, only one E. coli O157:H7 isolate had stx1 while two were positive for hlyA gene. These results call for urgent attention toward appropriate controls and good hygienic practices in dealing with raw meat.

Background /objective Hepcidin is a peptide hormone produced by the liver and appears to be the master regulator of iron homeostasis. This peptide is upregulated in inflammatory conditions, including uremia. Hepcidin functions to regulate (inhibit) iron transport across the gut mucosa, thereby preventing excess iron absorption and maintaining normal iron levels within the body. In this study, we aimed to investigate hepcidin levels and their relationship with the parameters of iron status, inflammation, anemia therapy, and parameters of dialysis efficiency in hemodialysis patients. Patients and methods Plasma hepcidin-25, inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin 6), and peripheral iron indices (serum iron, total iron-binding capacity, transferrin saturation and serum ferritin) were measured before hemodialysis in 40 end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients treated with regular hemodialysis in a single dialysis unit as well as in 20 healthy individuals matched for age and sex serving as the control group. Results Plasma levels of hepcidin-25 were significantly higher in hemodialysis patients compared with controls. In a simple correlation analysis, plasma hepcidin levels were positively correlated with ferritin, transferrin saturation, CRP, and interleukin 6; however, it was negatively correlated with hemoglobin, dose of epoitin-α, and dose of iron. Conclusion Serum hepcidin levels were associated with iron status and inflammation in maintenance hemodialysis patients, and the high hepcidin serum levels, found in hemodialysis (HD) patients, are dependent on the magnitude of the inflammatory process and on recombinant human erythropoietin doses. Hepcidin and its regulatory pathways are potential therapeutic targets, which could lead to effective treatment of anemia in chronic hemodialysis.

1.1.Background: It is known that hemodialysis patients suffer multiple comorbidities; prevalence of depression is higher than general population however it's underestimated. Addressing the problem of depression in those patients will help in management that will lead to improvement in their quality of life. Based on that we screened for depression inhemodialysis patients at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research center (KFSHRC). 1.2.Design and Setting: A prospective cross-sectional study using validated Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) to identify the prevalence of depression in hemodialysis patients, we looked for the effect of different variables gender, age, marital status, dialysis vintage and renal transplant fitness status. 1.3.Methods: 79 patients were screened,67 patients met the inclusion, 32 were female. BDI scores were computed based on the patient responses to the questionnaire. 1.4.Results: 18 % of patients had a BDI score of >16 which is regarded as an indicator of moderate to severe depressive symptoms. BDI score of

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common diabetic chronic complications. There is an increased attention directed towards the role of angiogenic factors including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and anti-angiogenic factors including soluble endoglin (sEng) as contributors to diabetic microvascular complications including neuropathy. The purposes of this study were to determine the role of these angiogenesis regulators in the prognosis of DPN. The study group included 60 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 20 clinically healthy individuals. The patients were divided into two groups. Group I included 20 T2DM patients without peripheral neuropathy, and Group II consisted of 40 T2DM patients with DPN. In all groups, plasma VEGF, sEng and endothelin-1 (ET-1), nitric oxide and ET-1 mRNA were estimated. Plasma levels of VEGF, sEng, ET-1 and nitric oxide were significantly elevated in diabetic patients (Groups I and II) compared with healthy control subjects, with a higher increase in their levels in patients with DPN compared with diabetic patients without peripheral neuropathy. Measurement of plasma levels of angiogenesis-related biomarkers in high-risk diabetic patients might identify who later develop DPN, thus providing opportunities for early detection and targets for novel treatments.

Objective: Normal hydration state without experiencing symptoms indicative of over or under hydration at or after the end of hemodialysis treatment or what we call "dry weight” DW is a challenge for most nephrologists. Different methods has been tried to achieve this goal. We performed this study to investigate and compare three different objective tools (2 medical devices and 1 laboratory value) body composition measurement (BCM), chest ultrasound and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) to narrow the gap toward proper estimation of DW in Hemodialysis patients. Methods: 49 stable chronic hemodialysis patients underwent assessment pre and post hemodialysis using all the available modalities mentioned above. Results: BCM assessment showed pre dialysis 27 patients (55%) were classified as overhydrated, 18 patients (37%) as normohydrated and 4 patients (8%) patients as hypohydrated. Lung comets score before hemodialysis were 21.4 ± 17 and after hemodialysis were 9.1 ± 6.9. 19 patients (39%) had lung comets score 30. There was no difference in age, gender, SBP, and DBP between the three groups. Circulating BNP levels showed significant decrease (33%) from a mean of 10443 ± 17232 pg/ml predialysis to 6956 ± 13885 pg/ml post-dialysis (p=0.00). Conclusions: Chest ultrasound, BCM, and BNP measurements as indicators for volume status assessment showed significant reduction in overhydration after dialysis, which is related more to changes in volume status rather than to its absolute values before and after hemodialysis however the was no correlation between the three modalities as assessment tool for volume status.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Amiodarone (AM), a class 3 antiarrhythmic drug, has been associated with variety of adverse effects, the most serious of which is pulmonary toxicity. Ator (A) is a statin, known for their immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory activities. Recent studies provide evidence of potential therapeutic effect of statins on lung injury. Adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) have shown great promise in the repair of various tissues. The present study aimed at investigating and comparing the possible therapeutic effect of A and ADSCs on AM induced lung injury in albino rats. METHODS AND RESULTS 34 adult male albino rats were divided into 5 groups: control group (Gp I), A group (Gp II) received 10 mg/kg of A orally 6 days (d)/week (w) for 4 weeks (ws), AM group (Gp III) received 30 mg/kg of AM orally 6 d/w for 4 ws, AM&A group (Gp IV) received AM for 4ws then A for other 4 ws and AM&SCs group (Gp V) received AM for 4 ws then injected with 0.5 ml ADSCs on 2 successive days intravenously (IV). Histological, histochemical, immunohistochemical and morphometric studies were performed. Group III displayed bronchiolitis obliterans, thickened interalveolar septa (IAS) and thickened vascular wall which were proven morphometrically. Increased area% of collagen fibers and apoptotic changes were recorded. All findings regressed on A administration and ADSCs therapy. CONCLUSION Ator proved a definite ameliorating effect on the degenerative, inflammatory, apoptotic and fibrotic changes induced by AM. ADSCs administration denoted more remarkable therapeutic effect compared to A.

Objectives: This in vitro study determined the effect of enamel pretreatment with phosphoric acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) on the bond strength of strong, intermediary strong, and mild self-etching adhesive systems.Methods: Ninety sound human premolars were used. Resin composite cylinders were bonded to flat ground enamel surfaces using three self-etching adhesive systems: strong Adper Prompt L-Pop (pH=0.9–1.0), intermediary strong AdheSE (pH=1.6–1.7), and mild Frog (pH=2). Adhesive systems were applied either according to manufacturer instructions (control) or after pretreatment with either phosphoric acid or EDTA (n=10). After 24 hours, shear bond strength was tested using a universal testing machine at a cross-head speed of 0.5 mm/minute. Ultra-morphological characterization of the surface topography and resin/enamel interfaces as well as representative fractured enamel specimens were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).Results: Neither surface pretreatment statistically increased the mean shear bond strength values of either the strong or the intermediary strong self-etching adhesive systems. However, phosphoric acid pretreatment significantly increased the mean shear bond strength values of the mild self-etching adhesive system. SEM examination of enamel surface topography showed that phosphoric acid pretreatment deepened the same etching pattern of the strong and intermediary strong adhesive systems but converted the irregular etching pattern of the mild self-etching adhesive system to a regular etching pattern. SEM examination of the resin/enamel interface revealed that deepening of the etching pattern was consistent with increase in the length of resin tags. EDTA pretreatment had a negligible effect on ultra-morphological features.Conclusions: Use of phosphoric acid pretreatment can be beneficial with mild self-etching adhesive systems for bonding to enamel. (Eur J Dent 2010;4:418-428)

Bacterial heat-shock response is a global regulatory system required for effective adaptation to changes (stress) in the environment. An in vitro study was conducted to investigate the impact of a sublethal temperature (42°C) on heat shock protein (HSP) expression in 6 Salmonella strains (Salmonella Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, S. Virchow, S. Shubra, S. Haifa and S. Eingedi). The 6 Salmonella strains were isolated from the tissues of ducklings that had died from avian salmonellosis. To determine the induction of HSP in the 6 Salmonella strains, they were exposed to the selected temperature level for 24 h and further kept for 48 h at culturing condition of 42°C. Growth under a sublethal temperature of 42°C increased the expression of several proteins of Salmonella, including a 63 kDa protein in addition to the generation and/or overexpression of 143 proteins which were specific to heat shock, concurrent to this acquired thermotolerance. The 6 Salmonella strains responded to 24 h of thermal stress at an elevated temperature 42°C by synthesizing different heat shock proteins (HSP) with molecular weights ranging between 13.62 and 96.61 kDa. At 48 h, the 6 Salmonella strains synthesized different HSPs with molecular weights ranging between 14.53 and 103.43 kDa. It follows that salmonellae would produce HSPs during the course of the infectious process. Salmonellosis produced several proteins after 24 and 48 h of infection. Seven of these proteins (100, 80, 60, 40, 30, 20 and 10 kDa) were recognized in the serum obtained from the ducklings infected with S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium, S. Virchow, S. Shubra, S. Haifa and S. Eingedi after 24 h of infection. After 48 h, the 1–7 kDa HSP became more evident and indicated their de novo generation.

Mammary gland secretions derived from secretory cows infected with coagulase +ve Staphylococcus spp. was examined for the expression of IL-6, production of lysozyme and NO(x). The examined cows reflected 25 cases of subclinical mastitis and 15 cases of clinically mastitic animals. The IL-6 concentration in the subclinical animals was significantly higher (30.8 ng/ml) than the clinically manifested animals (18.0 ng/ml) and the normal cows (5.2n g/ml). On the other hand the level of lysozyme although significantly higher than the normal cows (6.9 microg/ml) yet its level in the subclinical animals (11.2 microg/ml) was lower than that estimated in the clinical animals (15.6 microg/ml). Similarly, the level of NO(x) in the normal animals was found to be 5.6 microM/ml to increase to 6.2 microM/ml in the subclinical mastitic animals and to significantly increase further to 11.5 microM/ml in the clinically affected cows. These results suggest the promising use of whey IL-6, lysozyme or/and NO concentration variabilities as prognostic parameters on the degree of the commencement of mastitis in cows.