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OBJECTIVE: Nasal polyps are non-cancerous, soft painless growth of nasal mucosa. In this study, our aim was to investigate the Ki-67 expression level in nasal polyps by immunohistochemical method. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 30 patients with nasal polyps were included in this study. Nasal polyps were processed for paraffin wax embedding protocol. Samples were fixed and embedded in paraffin blocks. 5 µm sections were stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin dye and immune stained with Ki-67 antibody. Sections were analyzed under light microscope. RESULTS: Blood parameters showed that white blood cells, hematocrit and platelet were higher than normal range. In sections of hematoxylin-eosin staining, elevated basal cells, thin basement membrane, leukocyte infiltration, collagen fibers degeneration were observed. Masson trichrome staining revealed that degenerative epithelial cells, detached basement membrane and edema were observed. Ki-67 expression was observed in mucosal epithelial cells, vascular endothelial cells and plasma cells in immune staining. CONCLUSIONS: Epithelial degeneration in nasal polyps and leukocyte infiltration induce nasal adenoma. Ki-67 expression may be a diagnostic tool for epithelial leukocyte formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Nitrilases attract increasing attention due to their utility in the mild hydrolysis of nitriles. According to activity and gene screening, filamentous fungi are a rich source of nitrilases distinct in evolution from their widely examined bacterial counterparts. However, fungal nitrilases have been less explored than the bacterial ones. Nitrilases are typically heterogeneous in their quaternary structures, forming short spirals and extended filaments, these features making their structural studies difficult. Results A nitrilase gene was amplified by PCR from the cDNA library of Aspergillus niger K10. The PCR product was ligated into expression vectors pET-30(+) and pRSET B to construct plasmids pOK101 and pOK102, respectively. The recombinant nitrilase (Nit-ANigRec) expressed in Escherichia coli BL21-Gold(DE3)(pOK101/pTf16) was purified with an about 2-fold increase in specific activity and 35% yield. The apparent subunit size was 42.7 kDa, which is approx. 4 kDa higher than that of the enzyme isolated from the native organism (Nit-ANigWT), indicating post-translational cleavage in the enzyme's native environment. Mass spectrometry analysis showed that a C-terminal peptide (Val327 - Asn356) was present in Nit-ANigRec but missing in Nit-ANigWT and Asp298-Val313 peptide was shortened to Asp298-Arg310 in Nit-ANigWT. The latter enzyme was thus truncated by 46 amino acids. Enzymes Nit-ANigRec and Nit-ANigWT differed in substrate specificity, acid/amide ratio, reaction optima and stability. Refolded recombinant enzyme stored for one month at 4°C was fractionated by gel filtration, and fractions were examined by electron microscopy. The late fractions were further analyzed by analytical centrifugation and dynamic light scattering, and shown to consist of a rather homogeneous protein species composed of 12-16 subunits. This hypothesis was consistent with electron microscopy and our modelling of the multimeric nitrilase, which supports an arrangement of dimers into helical segments as a plausible structural solution. Conclusions The nitrilase from Aspergillus niger K10 is highly homologous (≥86%) with proteins deduced from gene sequencing in Aspergillus and Penicillium genera. As the first of these proteins, it was shown to exhibit nitrilase activity towards organic nitriles. The comparison of the Nit-ANigRec and Nit-ANigWT suggested that the catalytic properties of nitrilases may be changed due to missing posttranslational cleavage of the former enzyme. Nit-ANigRec exhibits a lower tendency to form filaments and, moreover, the sample homogeneity can be further improved by in vitro protein refolding. The homogeneous protein species consisting of short spirals is expected to be more suitable for structural studies.

Purpose: The incidence of breast cancer has been increasing in recent years, and monotherapy approaches are not sufficient alone in the treatment of breast cancer. In the combined therapy approach, combining two or three different agents in lower doses can mitigate the side effects on living cells and tissues caused by high doses of chemical agents used alone. ABT-263 (navitoclax), a clinically tested Bcl-2 family protein inhibitor, has shown limited success in clinical trials due to the development of resistance to monotherapy in breast cancer cells. This resistance shows that monotherapy approaches are inadequate and more effective treatment strategies are needed. It is the ability of HSP90 inhibitors to destabilize many oncoproteins that are critical for the survival of cancer cells. This study aimed to examine the anticancer activity of the combination of ABT-263 with BIIB021, a new generation HSP90 inhibitor, on two widely used breast cancer cell lines: MCF-7 (ER-positive) and MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative breast cancer, TNBC). These cell lines were selected to represent distinct breast cancer subtypes with different molecular characteristics and clinical behaviors., Methods: Single and combined cytotoxic effects of this agents on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines were determined using the MTT cell viability test. The combined use of these two agents showed a synergistic effect, and this effect was assigned using the Chou and Talalay method. mRNA and protein levels of apoptosis-related genes Bax, Bcl-2, Casp9, and Heat Shock Proteins HSP27, HSP70, and HSP90 were analyzed using Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western Blotting, respectively., Results: The cytotoxicity analysis, combined with the application of the Chou-Talalay method, demonstrated that the BIIB021 and ABT-263 combination exhibited significantly greater anticancer activity compared to the individual effects of either BIIB021 or ABT-263 in breast cancer cell lines. The analysis of mRNA and protein levels indicated that the BIIB021+ABT-263 combination may have triggered the intrinsic apoptotic pathway in breast cancer cells., Conclusion: This study showed that co-administration of ABT-263 and BIIB021 agents exhibited synergistic cytotoxic effects and increased the expression of apoptosis-related genes in breast cancer cell lines., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflicts of interest: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval: Not applicable., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

In this study, we investigated the effect of chitosan modification with tricine on transfection efficiency by preserving its ability to form complexes with plasmid DNA (pDNA) and increasing its hydrophilicity. The inherent limitations of chitosan, such as poor solubility at physiological pH, insufficient cellular uptake, and strong ionic interactions with pDNA, typically result in low transfection efficiency. To overcome these challenges, Tricine, a hydrophilic molecule containing a secondary amine group, was conjugated to chitosan. Chitosan of three different molecular weights (low, medium, and high) was modified with tricine. Structural characterization of the modified chitosan was conducted using Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analyses. The effects of tricine modification were assessed in terms of hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, proton buffering capacity, particle size, PDI and zeta potential. Tricine modified low molecular weight chitosan nanoparticles (nLMWChi Tri ), which exhibit suitable properties for gene transfer studies, were evaluated regarding pDNA complexation ability, cytotoxicity and in vitro transfection efficiency. The results demonstrated that tricine modification enhanced the gene transfer potential of chitosan, making it competitive with the commercial transfection agent Lipofectamine™ 2000 and offering a promising strategy for non-viral gene therapy applications. Furthermore, the biocompatibility and biodegradability of chitosan, combined with the improved hydrophilicity provided by tricine, makes nLMWChi Tri a safer and more sustainable option for repeated use in gene delivery, overcoming the major limitations associated with other synthetic vectors such as Lipofectamine™ 2000., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study is to synthesize new amphiphilic chitosan containing myristic acid as the hydrophobic tail and tertiary amine groups as the hydrophilic head and to evaluate the gene delivery efficiency. In this context, the primary amine groups of chitosan were first modified with myristic acid (Chi-M), followed by the modification of the methylol groups with 3-dimethylamino-1-propyl chloride hydrochloride. The chemical characterization of this chitosan formulation (Chi-MA) was determined using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis and gel permeation chromatography-size exclusion chromatography. Chi-MA nanoparticles were prepared via ionic gelation, and particle size, polydispersity and zeta potential were determined. The nanoparticles were evaluated for their proton buffering capacity and gene complexing capacity. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of Chi-MA on HEK293T cells was determined via MTT assay, and the transfection efficiency of Chi-MA was analyzed by a flow cytometer. The results indicate a significant increase in gene complexing capacity (8-fold) and nanoparticle formation ability of Chi-MA compared to other chitosan formulations. Chi-MA nanoparticles showed no toxicity against HEK293T cells and exhibited the highest transfection efficiency with significantly lower nanoparticle: gene ratios compared to previous studies. These findings demonstrate the effective use of amphiphilic Chi-MA as a gene carrier., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Since nursing students' interactions with nurses in the clinical practice process play an important role in nursing education and practice, it is a necessity to evaluate nurses' attitudes towards students., Aim: To develop a valid and reliable measurement tool to determine the attitudes of nurses' towards nursing students in the clinical practice process., Design: This study used a quantitative cross-sectional design., Settings: The study was conducted in a public hospital in Turkey between February and April 2024., Participants: The sample of the study consisted of 364 nurses., Methods: Through literature review and qualitative data analysis, 40 items were identified for the item pool of the scale and these items were presented to 22 experts. After the content validity, the draft scale consisting of 32 items was used as a data collection tool. Lawshe's Content Validity Ratio, Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin Coefficient, Bartlett's test, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Principal Component Analysis, Varimax Factor Rotation Method, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Cronbach's Alpha Internal Consistency Coefficient, Spearman Correlation Coefficient and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks tests were used to analyze the data., Results: As a result of the exploratory factor analysis, it was determined that there were twenty-two items and five sub-dimensions in the scale. The Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient was 0.770 for the clinical experience and ethics sub-dimension, 0.811 for the collaboration sub-dimension, 0.792 for the desire to learn sub-dimension, 0.765 for the continuous development sub-dimension, 0.736 for the communication skills sub-dimension and 0.903 for the total scale. As a result of the test-retest reliability analysis, it was determined that all items and factor scores showed significant relationships between the two applications (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: The scale was found to be a valid and reliable measurement tool that can be used to determine the attitudes of nurses' towards nursing students in the clinical practice process., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflict of interest has been declared by the authors., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: This study was conducted to develop a valid and reliable measurement tool to determine nursing students' attitudes towards nurses during the clinical practice., Background: Nurses affect the clinical practice process of nursing students and play an important role in the latter gaining experience. Evaluation of students' attitudes towards nurses is a critical factor for the training of qualified nurses., Design: This study used a quantitative cross-sectional design., Methods: This study was conducted between February and March 2024 with 408 students studying in the nursing department of a university in Türkiye. The item pool of the scale was formed with 45 items through literature review and qualitative data analysis and presented to 21 experts. After the content validity, the draft scale consisting of 38 items was used as a data collection tool. Lawshe's Content Validity Ratio, Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin Coefficient, Bartlett's test, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Principal Component Analysis, Varimax Factor Rotation Method, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Cronbach's Alpha Internal Consistency Coefficient, Spearman Correlation Coefficient and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks tests were used to analyze the data., Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed 28 items and three sub-dimensions in the scale. Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient was 0.902 for the cooperation and understanding sub-dimension, 0.925 for the communication skills and guidance sub-dimension, 0.723 for the support for professional development sub-dimension and 0.946 for the total scale. According to the confirmatory factor analysis fit index results of the scale, RMSEA value was 0.054 and χ2/df value was 2.189. As a result of the analysis conducted to determine the test-retest reliability, it was determined that all items and factor scores showed significant relationships between the two applications (p<0.001)., Conclusions: The scale was found to be a valid and reliable measurement tool that can be used to determine nursing students' attitudes towards nurses during the clinical practice., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Escherichia coli has shouldered a massive workload with the discovery of recombinant DNA technology. A new era began in the biopharmaceutical industry with the production of insulin, the first recombinant protein, in E. coli and its use in treating diabetes. After insulin, many biopharmaceuticals produced from E. coli have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency to treat various human diseases. Although E. coli has some disadvantages, such as lack of post-translational modifications and toxicity, it is an important host with advantages such as being a well-known bacterium in recombinant protein production, cheap, simple production system, and high yield. This study examined biopharmaceuticals produced and approved in E. coli under the headings of peptides, hormones, enzymes, fusion proteins, antibody fragments, vaccines, and other pharmaceuticals. The topics on which these biopharmaceuticals were approved for treating human diseases, when and by which company they were produced, and their use and development in the field are included., (© 2024 The Author(s). Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of compression stockings on complaints, well-being, and sleep quality in pregnant women with restless legs syndrome., Methods: This randomized placebo-controlled study was conducted on 63 pregnant women (placebo group [PG]=31; experimental group [EG]=32) at the Perinatology Outpatient Clinic of a Health Research and Application Centre in Turkey. Pregnant women in the experimental group wore compression stockings when they got up in the morning for 3 weeks and took them off at bedtime. Placebo group women wore a placebo stocking. Data were collected using the restless legs syndrome Severity Rating Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the World Health Organization-5 Well-Being Index, and the Application Satisfaction Form on the 22nd day of the first interview. Statistical significance was accepted as p<0.05., Results: Post-test mean scores of both the experimental group and placebo group in the restless legs syndrome Severity Rating Scale (post-test:;8.87±5.27, 12.19±5.60; pre-test:;21.28±5.63, 21.0±5.61; p<0.05), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (post-test:;5.34±3.28, 6.12±3.12; pre-test:;10.15±4.23, 9.61±4.59; p<0.05), and Well-Being Index (post-test:;18.06±4.59, 19.00±4.47; pre-test:;12.71±5.85, 15.09±5.62; p<0.05) showed recovery according to the pre-tests. However, the post-test restless legs syndrome Severity Rating Scale of the experimental group was lower than that of the placebo group (p<0.05). The effect of their application started in 3.93±1.74 days on average in the experimental group, while it started in 5.09±1.55 days in the placebo group (p<0.05)., Conclusion: Both applications reduced the severity of restless legs syndrome in pregnant women and increased sleep quality and well-being. However, compression stockings were more effective in reducing restless legs syndrome severity. Nurses can use compression and placebo stockings in the care of pregnant women with restless legs syndrome., Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT05795868.

Neuroblastoma is a common nervous system tumor in childhood, and current treatments are not adequate. HSP90 is a molecular chaperone protein that plays a critical role in the regulation of cancer-related proteins. HSP90 inhibition may exert anticancer effects by targeting cancer-related processes such as tumor growth, cell proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis. Therefore, HSP90 inhibition is a promising strategy in the treatment of various types of cancer, and the development of next-generation inhibitors could potentially lead to more effective and safer treatments. XL-888 and Debio0932 is a next-generation HSP90 inhibitor and can inhibit the correct folding and stabilization of client proteins that cancer-associated HSP90 helps to fold correctly. In this study, we aimed to investigate the comprehensive molecular pathways of the anticancer activity of XL-888 and Debio0932 in human neuroblastoma cells SH-SY5Y. The cytotoxic effects of XL-888 and Debio0932 on the neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y cells were evaluated by MTT assay. Then, the effect of these HSP90 inhibitors on the expression of important genes in cancer was revealed by Quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) method. The qRT-PCR data were evaluated using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) biological process tools. Finally, the effect of HSP90 inhibitors on HSP27, HSP70 and HSP90 protein expression was investigated by Western blotting analysis. The results revealed that XL-888 and Debio0932 had a role in regulating many cancer-related pathways such as migration, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells. In conclusion, it shows that HSP90 inhibitors can be considered as a promising candidate in the treatment of neuroblastoma and resistance to chemotherapy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

E. coli plays a substantial role in recombinant protein production. Its importance increased with the discovery of recombinant DNA technology and the subsequent production of the first recombinant insulin in E. coli. E. coli is a widely used and cost-effective host to produce recombinant proteins. It is also noteworthy that a significant portion of the approved therapeutic proteins have been produced in this organism. Despite these advantages, it has some disadvantages, such as toxicity and lack of eukaryotic post-translational modifications that can lead to the production of misfolded, insoluble, or dysfunctional proteins. This study focused on the challenges and engineering approaches for improved expression and solubility in recombinant protein production in E. coli. In this context, solution strategies such as strain and vector selection, codon usage, mRNA stability, expression conditions, translocation to the periplasmic region and addition of fusion tags in E. coli were discussed., Competing Interests: Declarations of completing interest The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the effects of zonisamide treatment on cerebellar tissues in an experimental alcohol addiction (AA) model and its potential mechanisms of action, particularly regarding apoptotic protease activating factor-1 (APAF-1) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) expression. Thirty rats were divided into three groups: sham, ethanol (EtOH), and EtOH + zonisamide. AA was induced by administering 6 cc of EtOH orally every 8 h for 4 days. Zonisamide (100 mg/kg) was given to rats once daily before EtOH administration. Motor defects were evaluated using an open field maze. Serum TNF-α levels were measured from blood samples. Cerebellar sections were processed for histological examination and immunostained for APAF-1 and TNF-α. Protein interaction networks were constructed using Cytoscape, and functional annotations were performed with ShinyGO (version 0.80) software. The traveled area in the EtOH group was significantly reduced compared to the sham group ( p = 0.0005). Rats in the EtOH + zonisamide group covered a larger area, with zonisamide treatment significantly improving locomotor ability compared to the EtOH group ( p = 0.0463). Serum TNF-α levels were significantly elevated in the EtOH group compared to the sham group ( p < 0.0001) and were significantly decreased in the EtOH + zonisamide group compared to the EtOH group ( p = 0.0309). Regular cerebellar histological layers were observed in the sham group, while EtOH induction caused loss of cerebellar tissue integrity, neuronal degeneration, vascular dilatation and congestion, reduced myelin density, and neuropils in the EtOH group. Zonisamide treatment improved these pathologies, enhancing myelination and neuropil formation. Negative APAF-1 and TNF-α expressions were observed across cerebellar layers in the sham group. Due to EtOH toxicity, APAF-1 and TNF-α expression were upregulated in the EtOH group compared to the sham group ( p < 0.001 for both). Zonisamide treatment downregulated these protein expressions in the EtOH + zonisamide group compared to the EtOH group ( p < 0.001 and p = 0.0087, respectively). APAF-1 was primarily associated with AA through antifolate resistance, endopeptidases, and the interleukin-1 pathway, while TNF-α was predominantly enriched in infections and choline-binding, indicating zonisamide's impact on immune and inflammatory pathways. In conclusion, zonisamide treatment significantly mitigated ethanol-induced cerebellar damage and inflammation in an AA model. Zonisamide improved locomotor function and reduced serum TNF-α levels, as well as APAF-1 and TNF-α expression in cerebellar tissues. These findings suggest that zonisamide exerts its protective effects by modulating immune and inflammatory pathways, thereby preserving cerebellar integrity and function.

Background: Non-pharmacological methods are primarily recommended for the treatment and care of pregnant women with restless legs syndrome. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of non-pharmacological methods in reducing the severity of restless legs syndrome and improving sleep quality in pregnant women, based on the results of previous studies., Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies was conducted. Studies published between 14 February 2022 and 22 March 2023 in DergiPark, Turkish Clinics, ULAKBIM, Higher Education Council National Thesis Center, ProQuest Dissertations, EBSCOhost (Medline, CINAHL), OVID-LWW, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and ClinicalStudys.gov databases were identified by keywords., Results: Six articles with a total sample size of 359 (intervention group: 312; control group: 107) were included in the meta-analysis. The combined results of these studies showed that non-pharmacological methods significantly reduced the severity of restless legs syndrome (MD: -13.00, Z = 7.29, P < .0001). In the subgroup analysis performed based on the type of intervention methods used, relaxing background music, progressive muscle relaxation exercises, sleep hygiene training, and hot and cold water applications were found to be effective. In addition, this meta-analysis showed that non-pharmacological methods significantly improved sleep quality (MD: -3.73, Z = 12.49, P < .00001)., Conclusion: By using a non-pharmacological method with proven effectiveness, it is possible to reduce the discomfort associated with pregnancy-related restless legs syndrome and improve sleep quality.

Background: Pregnant women experience restless legs syndrome and intervention studies are needed to prevent this. This study evaluated the effect of hot and cold water applications on the severity of restless leg syndrome and sleep quality in pregnant women., Methods: It is a randomized controlled trial. The subjects comprised 80 (hot water group = 26, cold water group = 27, control group = 27) pregnant women. Pregnant women in intervention groups applied hot or cold water to their legs before going to bed for seven days. The control group did not do any application other than routine care. The data were collected with the Restless Legs Syndrome Diagnostic Form, Personal Information Form, Restless Leg Syndrome Severity Grading Scale, The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Application Satisfaction Form, and Post-Application Follow-up Chart., Results: While the Restless Legs Syndrome Severity Grading Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index pre-test scores of the groups were similar (P > .05), the post-test scores were lower in the intervention groups than in the control group (P < .001). The effect of the applications started on the second day and the level of satisfaction with the application was similarly high in both groups (P < .05). During the follow-up, the syndrome severity scores of both the intervention groups were similar (P > .05), while the sleep quality of the cold group was better (P < .05) and most of the pregnant women did not need reapplication and they were satisfied with the application (P < .05)., Conclusion: These safe interventions reduced the severity of restless legs syndrome in pregnant women and improved the quality of their sleep. Nurses can use these applications in pregnancy care, which begin to show effect in as little as two days.

Combination therapy has been frequently preferred in treating various types of cancer in recent years. Targeted cancer therapy has also become one of the remarkable treatment modalities. Therefore, the aim of the study to investigate its cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on liver cancer cell lines by combining the classical chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOX) and a targeted agent, the new generation HSP90 inhibitor XL-888. The molecular docking method was used to predict the binding conformation of XL-888 on the human Hsp90. The single and combined cytotoxic effects of DOX and XL-888 on liver cancer cell lines HepG2 and HUH-7 were determined by MTT assay. The effect of the combined use of two drugs was evaluated using Chou and Talalay method. The levels of apoptotic genes and heat shock proteins gene and protein expression levels were investigated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, respectively. Molecular docking results showed that XL-888 selectively binds to the ATP binding pocket of HSP90 with an estimated free binding energy of - 7.8 kcal/mol. DOX and XL-888 and their combination showed dose-dependent cytotoxic effect. The combination of drugs showed a synergistic effect on both cell lines. The results revealed that the combination of DOX and XL-888 potently induced apoptosis in liver cancer cell lines rather than using drugs alone. The combined treatment of DOX and XL-888 demonstrated synergistic cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on liver cancer cell lines, presenting a promising approach for combination therapy in liver cancer., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) is a major concern among hospitals, especially in intensive care units (ICUs)., Purpose: To describe ICU nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practices of IAD and to examine the relationships with IAD prevalence in the ICU setting., Methods: A descriptive correlational design was used including the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Incontinence-Associated Dermatitis Questionnaire and 1-month IAD prevalence data., Results: The prevalence of IAD in ICUs was 6.89%. A positive correlation was found between IAD prevalence and nurses' IAD knowledge and attitudes. Nurses working in the ICU for more than 7 years, caring for patients at high risk for or having IAD, and thinking IAD-related nursing practices were sufficient had significantly higher IAD knowledge, attitudes, and practices., Conclusions: Findings indicate that ICU nurses learned about IAD through clinical experience and have inadequate training on IAD. A standardized evidence-based care protocol for IAD should be developed., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of thiolated α-cyclodextrin (α-CD-SH) on the cellular uptake of its payload. For this purpose, α-CD was thiolated using phosphorous pentasulfide. Thiolated α-CD was characterized by FT-IR and 1 H NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD). Cytotoxicity of α-CD-SH was evaluated on Caco-2, HEK 293, and MC3T3 cells. Dilauryl fluorescein (DLF) and coumarin-6 (Cou) serving as surrogates for a pharmaceutical payload were incorporated in α-CD-SH, and cellular uptake was analyzed by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Endosomal escape was investigated by confocal microscopy and hemolysis assay. Results showed no cytotoxic effect within 3 h, while dose-dependent cytotoxicity was observed within 24 h. The cellular uptake of DLF and Cou was up to 20- and 11-fold enhanced by α-CD-SH compared to native α-CD, respectively. Furthermore, α-CD-SH provided an endosomal escape. According to these results, α-CD-SH is a promising carrier to shuttle drugs into the cytoplasm of target cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Dorsal preservation surgeries in which the subperichondral and subperiosteal planes are used to elevate the soft tissue envelope of the nose have become increasingly widespread because they can reduce postoperative edema and promote faster healing. However, the effects of surgical dissection planes on the viability of cartilage grafts are not known., Objective: The aim of this study was to determine, in a rabbit model, the viability of diced cartilage grafts in different rhinoplasty dissection planes (sub-superficial musculoaponeurotic system [SMAS], subperichondral, subperiosteal)., Methods: Diced cartilage samples were placed in the sub-SMAS, subperichondrial, and subperiosteal planes, and after 90 days, histopathologic analysis was performed. Cartilage graft viability was evaluated based on the loss of chondrocyte nuclei in the lacuna, the presence of peripheral chondrocyte proliferation, and the loss of matrix metachromasia in the chondroid matrix., Results: The median [interquartile range] percentages of live chondrocyte nucleus viability in the sub-SMAS, subperichondrial, and subperiosteal groups were 67.5% [18.75%] (range, 60%-80%), 35% [17.5%] (range, 20%-45%), and 20% [30.0%] (range, 10%-45%), respectively; and the percentages of peripheral chondrocyte proliferation were 80.0% [22.5%] (range, 60%-90%), 30% [28.75%] (range, 15%-60%), and 20% [28.75%] (range, 5%-60%), respectively. There was strong statistical significance in both parameters (P = .001). Intergroup examination revealed a difference between the sub-SMAS and the other surgical planes (P = .001 for both parameters). A smaller loss of chondrocyte matrix was observed in the sub-SMAS group compared with the other 2 groups, which supports the findings of cartilage viability (P = .006)., Conclusions: Elevating the soft tissue envelope of the nose in the sub-SMAS surgical plane preserves the viability of cartilage grafts better than subperichondrial and subperiosteal elevation., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Aesthetic Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

This study investigated the biological activity of the silver coordination compound K-22. The IC 50 values of K-22 on cancer cell lines range from 0.797 μg/mL to 3.426 μg/mL, indicating that K-22 might preferably inhibit A549, Saos-2, MCF-7, and HT-29 cell proliferation and thus have better therapeutic activity. Furthermore, K-22 stimulated apoptosis via up-regulation of the mRNA and protein expression level of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in A549, Saos-2, MCF-7, and HT-29. K-22 exhibited antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, E. faecalis, K. pneumonia, P. aeruginosa, C. utilis, and C. albicans. Experimental results show that the compound has inhibitory potential with an IC 50 value of 178.10 μM for the BChE (butyrylcholinesterase) enzyme, which has a vital role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. As a result, compound K-22 exhibits a strong potential for medical use due to its anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-Alzheimer properties., (© 2023 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Introduction: No evidence was found in the literature for the use of the flipped classroom model in teaching clinical practice skills in paramedics. The study aimed to determine the effect of the flipped classroom model in teaching clinical practice skills to paramedic program students., Methods: The study was a single-center, randomized controlled, single-blind parallel-group study. The research was carried out with a university's first-year paramedic program students in the 2021 to 2022 academic year. The students were divided into groups by stratified sampling (intervention group = 21, control group = 21). Five clinical skills practices at various times were explained to the intervention group with the flipped classroom model and to the control group with the traditional lecture method. The research data were collected with the Introductory Characteristics Information Form, Checklists, Time Tracking Form, and Students' Questionnaire for Evaluating the flipped classroom model., Results: Although the students in the intervention group received a higher total score from all 5 clinical practice skills than the students in the control group, this difference was not statistically significant (P > .05). However, although the time allocated for applications in the intervention group was 40 to 75 minutes longer than in the control group, most students stated that this model successfully taught skills and theory, increased their motivation during the application, and reduced application and exam anxiety., Discussion: The flipped classroom model can be used as an alternative method to the traditional system in teaching clinical practice skills. This innovative educational approach can be recommended as a student-centered method in clinical skills teaching., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Defibrillation threshold (DFT) testing is an important part of ICD implantation. After placement of the ICD generator, a DFT test is performed to evaluate the integrity of the ICD system and to confirm a successful defibrillation safety margin. More than 6% of ICDs implanted are not within the DFT safety margin. Presently described is the case of a patient with a high DFT and some of the methods that can be used to manage this circumstance, including the use of a subcutaneous array.

In this study, we investigate the usability of sound recognition for source separation of packaging wastes in reverse vending machines (RVMs). For this purpose, an experimental setup equipped with a sound recording mechanism was prepared. Packaging waste sounds generated by three physical impacts such as free falling, pneumatic hitting and hydraulic crushing were separately recorded using two different microphones. To classify the waste types and sizes based on sound features of the wastes, a support vector machine (SVM) and a hidden Markov model (HMM) based sound classification systems were developed. In the basic experimental setup in which only free falling impact type was considered, SVM and HMM systems provided 100% classification accuracy for both microphones. In the expanded experimental setup which includes all three impact types, material type classification accuracies were 96.5% for dynamic microphone and 97.7% for condenser microphone. When both the material type and the size of the wastes were classified, the accuracy was 88.6% for the microphones. The modeling studies indicated that hydraulic crushing impact type recordings were very noisy for an effective sound recognition application. In the detailed analysis of the recognition errors, it was observed that most of the errors occurred in the hitting impact type. According to the experimental results, it can be said that the proposed novel approach for the separation of packaging wastes could provide a high classification performance for RVMs., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Atherosclerosis is a complex process mediated by leukocytes, macrophages and various inflammatory markers. Galectin-3 is secreted by activated macrophages and is involved in cardiac fibrosis, cardiac remodeling, and inflammation. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between the presence and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and serum galectin-3 levels. The study included 82 patients with CAD confirmed via coronary angiography and 82 healthy participants as control group. Angiographic CAD was defined as ≥50% luminal diameter stenosis of at least one major epicardial coronary artery. The severity of CAD was determined by the Gensini score; and the serum galectin-3 levels were measured via ELISA. Serum galectin-3 levels were significantly higher in the patient group with CAD than in the control group (12.96±4.92 vs 5.52±1.9 ng/mL, p<0.001). In the correlation analysis, serum galectin-3 showed significant correlation with the Gensini score (r=0.715, p<0.001), number of diseased vessels (r=0.752, p<0.001) and serum hs-CRP level (r=0.607, p<0.001). In addition, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the serum galectin-3 levels were significant and independent predictors of the presence of angiographic CAD (OR=3.933, 95% CI 2.395 to 6.457; p<0.001). In the present study, the serum galectin-3 levels were higher in the patients with CAD than in healthy controls. Also, serum galectin-3 levels showed a significant positive correlation with the severity of CAD. An increased serum galectin-3 level may be considered an important activator and a marker of the atherosclerotic inflammatory process in CAD., (Copyright © 2016 American Federation for Medical Research.)

Primary dysmenorrhea is a common inflammatory disease with an uncertain pathogenesis, although one consistent finding is increased neutrophil activity. We aimed to investigate the effects of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) on oxidative stress and Ca²⁺ levels in neutrophils from patients with primary dysmenorrhea. Blood samples were obtained for neutrophil isolation from six female patients with primary dysmenorrhea (patients) and six healthy female subjects. The NSAID (diclofenac) was taken daily by the patient group for 6 weeks before a second blood sample was taken. Neutrophils isolated after diclofenac treatment were investigated in three settings: (1) after incubation with verapamil and diltiazem (V+D), (2) after incubation with 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB), and (3) with neither exposure. Neutrophil lipid peroxidation and stimulated intracellular Ca²⁺ levels were higher in the patients than in the controls, although their levels were reduced after six weeks of treatment with diclofenac. Ca²⁺ levels from neutrophils obtained after diclofenac treatment were further decreased after incubation with V+D or 2-APB, compared with those exposed to neither agent. Neutrophil glutathione peroxidase and total antioxidant status were lower in the patients than in the controls and higher post-treatment with diclofenac. Reduced glutathione levels were similar in the control, patient, and treatment groups. In conclusion, we observed the importance of Ca²⁺ influx into the neutrophils and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of the patients with primary dysmenorrhea. The NSAID diclofenac appeared to provide a protective effect against oxidative stress and Ca²⁺ entry through modulation of neutrophil VGCC and TRP calcium channels., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)