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[Med-Science 2017; 6(3.000): 610-2]

Keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans (KFSD) is a keratinization disorder characterized by diffuse follicular hyperkeratosis, progressive cicatricial alopecia, corneal dystrophy, and photophobia. Acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN) is a syndrome of chronic folliculitis that manifests as follicular-based pustules and papules on the occipital region of the scalp, which may eventually lead to cicatricial alopecia. Various diseases such as cutis laksa, deafness, aminoaciduria, mental retardation, and atopy have been reported to be associated with KFSD, but AKN is a rare cutaneous manifestation. Herein, we report the case of a patient with KFSD associated with AKN. He was presented to our clinic with follicular-based pustules and papules that had been progressively advancing for five years that were now manifesting as cicatricial alopecia.

Objective: To investigate the results of patients who underwent amniocentesis. Methods: Information about patients who underwent amniocentesis between May 2021 and May 2022 at the perinatology department of training and research hospital was obtained from the database and evaluated. The demographic characteristics of the patients, indications for amniocentesis, and clinical results of the procedures were also evaluated. Maternal age, gestational age at the time of amniocentesis, amniocentesis indication, and karyotyping results were reviewed and analyzed. Results: A total of 579 patients were included in the study. The mean ages of the patients and weeks of gestation at the time of the procedure were 32.28 (minimum 17, maximum 50) and 16.32 (minimum 14, maximum 32), respectively. Amniocentesis was most frequently performed in our clinic, with an indication for increased risk according to the dual screening test. Clear chromosome analysis could not be performed using the quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction method in 17 patients, and 38 patients had an abnormal result for long-term cell culture. Conclusion: Amniocentesis is a frequently used fetal invasive karyotyping procedure. Amniocentesis indications are increasing with the progress of prenatal diagnosis. It is a relatively safe procedure when performed by experienced hands.

BACKGROUND: The role of endocervical curettage (ECC) in the diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is a controversial topic. OBJECTIVES: Investigate the role of ECC in the diagnosis of CIN in human papillomavirus (HPV) positive patients. DESIGN: Retrospective SETTING: A tertiary training and research hospital PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included patients who were referred for colposcopy between 2018-2022 because of abnormal screening results. ECC results, age, cytology, HPV status, and colposcopic impression of the patients were extracted from the medical records. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors that could predict CIN on ECC. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES: The likelihood of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) in ECC in patients with cervical biopsy results of normal and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL). SAMPLE SIZE: 2895 women RESULTS: In patients with normal and LSIL cervical biopsy results, HSILs were detected in 6.7% of ECC results. There was no difference in the detection rates of CIN in ECC among groups with smear results negative for intraepithelial lesions or malignancy (NILM), atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US), and LSIL. The likelihood of HSIL being observed in ECC was 2.2 times higher in patients with HPV16. The probability of LSIL disanois was 2.3 times higher in women aged 50-59 years and 2.8 times higher in women ≥ 60 years compared to the reference group of

The effectiveness of government policies and environmental initiatives to mitigate global warming relies heavily on public support, which is closely tied to public perception and awareness. Despite the scientific evidence communicated, the public remains reluctant to take preventive measures against global warming. The aim of the paper is to investigate the communicative actions of publics proposed as in the situational theory of problem solving to understand publics' communicative actions towards global warming. The paper utilizes a fuzzy rule-based system approach to analyze the communicative actions of publics to reveal non-linear relationships; whereas previous studies mostly used linear statistical analysis. The paper provides a deeper understanding into the interplay between problem recognition, constraint recognition, and involvement in shaping information behavior. The results show that the communicative actions of the publics are at a low-to-moderate level. The paper's interesting finding is the nonlinear effects of constraint recognition on communicative action about global warming. Contrary to the current literature, it was found out that the dominant factor that may convince public to start taking action towards global warming seems to be recognizing being constrained at a moderate level. Based on the results, it is suggested for policy makers and communication strategists to mitigate the negative outcomes of global warming by integrating environmental issues into education at all levels and collaborating with non-governmental organizations for national awareness campaigns which focus on increasing public problem recognition and involvement.

Aims: Thyroid nodules are one of the most frequent medical issues in endocrinology in our country and around the world. The appropriate evaluation of the nodule is critical in the management of patients. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is one of the most accurate tools for evaluating these nodules. Conventional and liquid-based (LB) methods are available for thyroid FNAC. In this paper, we aim to determine the best cytological method for the evaluation of thyroid fine needle aspiration materials. Settings and Design: Fine needle aspiration (FNA) materials obtained and prepared by conventional and LB methods from 310 patients were evaluated. These slides were compared in terms of 12 cytological parameters in a three-tiered system, and the kappa coefficient was calculated. Methods and Material: Two slides were prepared from FNA samples, and the rest of the material was left in protective solution for LB cytology. Surepath was used as a LB technique. Conventional slides (CS) were left to dry in the air and stained with May Grunwald Giemsa. Slides prepared by two different techniques were compared in 12 cytomorphological parameters, and Kappa coefficients and correlations were calculated. Statistical Analysis Used: Kappa statistics. Results: In comparison of LB and CS, the highest kappa coefficient was in chromatin texture (κ:0.738) and inflammatory cells (κ: 0.482). On other parameters, fair or poor agreement was observed. Conclusions: Although there are some superiorities to LB cytology, co-application of these two methods is more favorable in thyroid fine needle aspiration.

Background: Proteolytic enzymes and specific cytokines have been associated with the underlying mechanism of preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), contributing to weakened amniotic membranes. This study aims to elucidate the predictive role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) during the early stages of PPROM, given the limited existing literature exploring this relationship in second-trimester cases. Methods: This retrospective case-control study was performed from June 2018 to June 2023. We included 159 pregnant women diagnosed with mid-trimester PPROM and 573 pregnant women who gave birth at term. We obtained complete blood cell counts in all patients. We used a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to evaluate the cut-off, sensitivity, and specificity values. Results: Complete blood count evaluations revealed that in the mid-trimester PPROM group, neutrophil count, leukocyte count, hemoglobin (Hb) levels, NLR, and PLR were notably higher than those delivering after the 37th gestational week. These observations were identified not only in the first-trimester but also within 24 hours after membrane rupture. Contrary to prior research and to conventional patterns, our study identified a diminished mid-trimester NLR in cases of PPROM compared to the control group. Conclusions: In our study, we identified significant differences in lymphocyte counts, platelet levels, NLR, and PLR values between the PPROM group and the control group. Our study suggests that the NLR and PLR values from the first-trimester might be powerful indicators of PPROM risk.

Objective: To determine the demographic characteristics of pregnant women that have a history of drug use and categorize the drugs according to the Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical Classification (ATC) system. Methods: This study was designed as a retrospective cohort study. The data obtained from the hospital database were evaluated. The drugs used by pregnant women who were found to use drugs during pregnancy were categorized according to the ATC system. At the same time, demographic data, educational status, income levels, alcohol and cigarette use and obstetric results of the pregnant women were evaluated. Results: Ninety-nine pregnant women evaluated in Tepecik Training and Research Hospital Perinatology Department Council were included. Mean age of pregnant women was 31.7 [18-47, standard deviation (SD)=5.880], mean gravida was 2.81 (1-8, SD=1.452), mean parity was 1.4 (0-5, SD=0.988) and mean gestational week at presentation was 11.27 (5-30, SD=4.692). It was determined that the mean duration of drug use was 66.56 days. It was found that drugs related to the nervous system were used most frequently with a rate of 29.33%, followed by drugs related to the digestive system with a rate of 15.03%. Congenital anomalies were observed in only 5 of 100 pregnant women exposed to the drug. Conclusion: The demographic data of pregnant women and the distribution of the drugs they are exposed to are similar to the literature. However, unlike previous studies, the preference for optional curettage is lower and the incidence of congenital anomaly is not higher than expected.

Background: Malignant melanoma (MM) is an aggressive tumor characterized by high metastatical potential and is sometimes diagnosed by distant organ metastasis such as liver. Morphologically it may mimic many other tumors and cause diagnostic challenges. In this paper, eleven MM cases metastasized to the liver with different morphologic patterns were analyzed in the light of literature. Materials and Methods: Histopathological and immunohistochemical findings of the cases diagnosed as MM metastasis in liver were reevaluated in the light of clinical data. Results: We obtained 11 MM cases with hepatic metastasis. In slides of the first four cases, morphologic features similar to epithelioid variant of MM with different amounts of melanin deposition were observed. In the fifth and sixth cases, fascicular patterned tumoral lesion composed of spindled cells were detected; and in the seventh and eighth cases, nested and sheet-like patterned tumoral lesion consist of giant bizarre and spindled cells with hyperchromatic nuclei were observed. The last three cases consisted of plasmacytoid cells with eccentric nuclei in pseudoalveolar pattern; and the exact diagnosis was possible with the help of immunohistochemistry. Conclusion: MM should always be kept in mind in differential diagnosis of metastatic hepatic tumors with unknown primary because of its various morphological characteristics.

Terör, geçmişten günümüze dünyanın neredeyse tüm bölgelerinde ortaya çıkmış, ülkeleri ve toplumları uzun yıllar içerdiği şiddet hareketlerine maruz bırakmıştır. Her terör örgütünün farklı dinamikleri bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı; İspanya, İngiltere ve Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nin uzun yıllar boyunca mücadele ettiği ETA, IRA ve PKK terör örgütlerinin bölgesel terör hareketleri olarak ortaya çıkma ve dağılma süreçleri ile eylem yöntemleri bakımından karşılaştırılmasıdır. Bu amaçla, çalışmanın ilk bölümünde söz konusu örgütlerin ortaya çıkış süreçleri, ikinci bölümünde eylem yöntemleri, üçüncü bölümünde ETA ve IRA terör örgütlerinin dağılma süreçleri ile PKK terör örgütü liderinin yakalanmasından sonraki durumu açıklanmış ve sonuç bölümünde ise bu üç kriter kapsamında örgütler karşılaştırılmıştır.

Objective: Adenomyoma, a reactive and hamartomatous lesion of the gallbladder, is included in the differential diagnosis of several benign and malignant lesions. Macroscopic sampling is very important in the determination of these lesions. The agreed macroscopy protocol in recent years has been prepared by the Hepatopancreatobiliary Pathology Working Group. We aimed to evaluate the clinicopathologic properties of adenomyoma cases in the gallbladder and the contribution of new macroscopy techniques to the diagnosis of adenomyoma in the pre-protocol and post-protocol parts of a one-year period. Material and Method: Two institutes were included in the study. Adenomyoma cases diagnosed in the pre-protocol and post-protocol periods of one year duration were included in the study. Slides and demographic properties of the cases were reexamined. Results: While adenomyoma was present in 22 of 1879 gallbladder before the protocol, it was observed in 32 of 1781 gallbladders in the post-protocol period. 17 of the cases were male and 37 were female. The mean age of the cases was 51.8. 52% of the lesions were located in the fundus. A gallstone was observed in 37 cases, and cholesterolosis in 14 cases. In the comparison of the two periods, the number of cases was lower in the post-protocol period but a 0.6% increase in the diagnosis of adenomyoma was found. Conclusion: Adenomyoma is one of the lesions of the gallbladder that should be recognized but can be easily overlooked macroscopically. When we conducted the sampling according to the last protocol, the increase in the diagnosis of adenomyoma showed that adequate and accurate sampling was very useful for the detection of adenomyoma in the gallbladder.

Many steps have been taken towards the common written language and alphabet for the language unity of the Turkic world. However, these studies have not been sufficient for common writing, modern Turkic dialects that use both Cyrillic and Latin alphabets now apply the writing rules of Russian. In this study, we will focus on attempts to create a common alphabet, and then the process of creating the writing rules of Russian which is widely used in contemporary Turkic dialects. Then under each article title, examples form Turkish, Russian and other contemporary Turkic dialects will be given. And thus writing (spelling) differences will be revealed. In the last part of the study, non-Russian language differences will also be mentioned. Based on these differences, suggestions and evaluations will be made in the conclusion part

Group analysis in diffusion tensor imaging is challenging. Comparisons of tensor morphology across groups have typically been performed on scalar measures of diffusivity, such as fractional anisotropy (FA), disregarding the complex three-dimensional morphologies of diffusion tensors. Scalar measures consider only the magnitude of the diffusion but not directions. In the present study, we have introduced a new approach based on directional statistics to use directional information of diffusion tensors in statistical group analysis based on Bingham distribution. We have investigated different directional statistical models to find the best fit. During the experiments, we confirmed that carrying out directional statistical analysis along the tract is much more effective than voxel- or skeleton-guided directional statistics. Hence, we propose a new method called tract profiling and directional statistics (TPDS) applicable to fiber bundles. As a case study, the method has been applied to identify connectivity differences of patients with major depressive disorder. The results obtained with the directional statistic-based analysis are consistent with those of NBS, but additionally, we found significant changes in the right hemisphere striatum, ACC, and prefrontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital connections as well as left hemispheric differences in the limbic areas such as the thalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus. The results are also evaluated with respect to fiber lengths. Comparison with the output of the network-based statistical toolbox indicated that the benefit of the proposed method becomes much more distinctive as the tract length increases. The likelihood of finding clusters of voxels that differ in long tracts is higher in TPDS, while that relationship is not clearly established in NBS.

Background: Down syndrome, which is the most common human chromosomal anomaly that can affect people of any race and age, can be diagnosed prenatally in most cases. Prenatal diagnosis via culture method is time-consuming; thus, genetic analysis has thus been introduced and is continually being developed for rapid prenatal diagnosis. For this reason, the effective use of microRNA profiling for the rapid analysis of prenatal amniotic fluid samples for the diagnosis of Down syndrome was investigated. Aims: To evaluate the expression levels of 14 microRNAs encoded by chromosome 21 in amniotic fluid samples and their utility for prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. Study Design: Case-control study. Methods: We performed invasive prenatal testing for 56 pregnant women; 23 carried fetuses with Down syndrome, and 33 carried fetuses with a normal karyotype. Advanced maternal age and increased risk for Down syndrome in the screening tests were indications for invasive prenatal testing. The age of gestation in the study and control groups ranged between 17 and 18 weeks. The expression levels of microRNA were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: The expression levels of microRNA-125b-2, microRNA-155, and microRNA-3156 were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group. Conclusion: The presence of significantly dysregulated microRNAs may be associated with either the phenotype or the result of abnormal development. Further large-scale comparative studies conducted in a variety of conditions may bring novel insights in the field of abnormal prenatal conditions.

Abstract  Isoniazid (INH) still remains a first-line drug both for treatment and prophylaxis of tuberculosis, but various organs toxicity frequently develops in patients receiving this drug. We aimed to investigate possible toxic effects of INH on rat red blood cells (RBCs), and to elucidate whether Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) prevents a possible toxic effect of INH. Experimental groups were designed as follows: control group, INH group, INH + CAPE group. Compared with the control, the INH caused a significant increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and a decrease in glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT), which are recently used to monitor the development and extent of damage due to oxidative stresses. CAPE administration to INH group ameliorated above changes due to INH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) and discovery of fetal cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) in the maternal circulation render possible prenatal screening for trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18, trisomy 13, and sex chromosome aneuploidies. The approach is called “fetal cfDNA screening” and in contrast to noninvasive conventional serum screening, it provides the identification of 98%–99% of fetuses with Down syndrome. Methods Retrospective analysis of targeted noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) (Clarigo Test) pregnancies with moderate risk, which we have reported between 2016 and 2018 years is presented. Two separate laboratory workflows and NGS platforms are used for the same targeted NIPT analysis. Results In total, 4,594 pregnant women were investigated. Initial 3,594 cases are studied by MiSeq platform, the last 1,000 cases by NextSeq. Failure rate for MiSeq platform is 10.9% and for NextSeq is 8.7%. Automatically reported cases constitute 75% of the MiSeq group and 87% of the NextSeq group. Conclusions Targeted NIPT results suggest that MiSeq platform could be used for NIPT which would be an essential option particularly for laboratories with low sample flow. And, the NextSeq platform has easier wet lab process and also increased success rate in automatic reporting which is suitable for centers with high number of NIPT cases.

Purpose: The purpose of our study was too assess the diagnostic value of red cell distribution width and other inflammatory markers such as white blood cell count and mean platelet volume during the first trimester of gestation for predicting the subsequent development of preeclampsia.Material and Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 137 patients with preeclampsia and 150 normotensive pregnant women. Study group was assessed for presence of preeclampsia and the values of first trimester red cell distribution width, white blood cell count and mean platelet volume. The receiver operator curve was used to evaluate cut-off, sensitivity and specificity values.Results: The optimal cut-off points to predict preeclampsia were a white blood cell count 10200 cells/mm3 or higher with a sensitivity of 75.1% and specificity of 44.1%, a mean platelet volume 8.6fL or lower with a sensitivity of 62.5% and specificity of 64.4% and a red cell distribution width 15.3% or lower with a sensitivity of 31.2% and specificity of 79.7%.Conclusion: Regarding the association between first trimester red cell distribution width, white blood cell count and mean platelet volume, statistical analysis revealed that these markers were weak predictors of preeclampsia