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The aim of this study was to develop the Obstetric Intervention Self-Efficacy Scale (OISES). A sample of 327 university students (307 females, 20 males; 168 from the midwifery department and 159 from the nursing department) were enrolled in the study. Out of 66 items, the 22 items with the highest factor loadings were chosen as a result of preliminary exploratory factor analysis regarding 22 general obstetric intervention behaviors. The final exploratory factor analysis revealed that the 22 items of the OISES had a single factor and 67.21% of the total variance was explained by these items. Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient was calculated as 0.98. As a result, the overall findings demonstrated that this scale is a valid and reliable instrument. The analysis further revealed that OISES scores of students did change according to gender (females’ OISES scores were higher), department (midwifery students’ OISES scores were higher), and grade level (M4th > M1st, M2nd, & M3rd; M3rd > M1st & M2nd).

Mulibrey Nanism is a rare genetic disorder characterized by a variety of systemic manifestations, including cardiac involvement. We report the case of a 26-year-old male who underwent partial pericardiectomy for constrictive pericarditis at age 4 and presented to our cardiology clinic with heart failure symptoms. Examination revealed dysmorphic features characteristic of Mulibrey Nanism such as short stature, macrocephaly, and hypertelorism. Genetic testing identified a homozygous likely pathogenic mutation in the TRIM37 gene. The patient's heart failure was managed through a multidisciplinary approach, involving consultations with various specialties to address and diagnose the syndrome's complex multisystem pathologies. This case underscores the importance of including Mulibrey Nanism in the differential diagnosis of patients with a history of constrictive pericarditis at an early age and dysmorphic features, as well as the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach to manage the diverse manifestations of this rare genetic disorder.

Diabetic Retinopathy (DRP) is a disease consisting of all the structural and functional changes that develop in the retinal layer of the eye due to diabetes. DRP is the most important cause of blindness between the ages of 20-74 in the world, and the most successful standard treatment option in the treatment of DRP is intravitreal injections. To synthesize acetazolamide loaded nanoparticles to be applied intravitreal treatment of DRP and to examine the in vitro efficacy of the nanoparticles. ACZ loaded PHBV nanoparticles (PHBV-ACZ NPs) formulations were prepared. Nanoparticles with a particle size of 253.20 ± 0.55 nm. A DRP model was established and characterized in HRMEC cells. The effect of the nanoparticles on permeability has been investigated and carrier proteins in BRB due to the development of DRP has been investigated. To establish the in vitro DRP model, HRMEC was stimulated with Recombinant human 165 Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), thereby temporarily reducing the expression levels of endothelial junction proteins, increasing the number of intercellular spaces in the monolayers of HRMECs. It was determined that after the cells were exposed to Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAI) loaded nanoparticles, permeability decreased and protein expression increased., (© 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is defined as fluid accumulation in the macular region, between the retinal layers, due to many diseases, especially diabetes. DME is one of the major complications of diabetic retinopathy (DRP). Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAI) are a pharmaceutical agent used in different fields, especially glaucoma treatment. Acetazolamide (ACZ), which is a CAI, is an active substance that has been used off-label for many years in the treatment of macular edema due to diabetes and many other diseases. The low solubility and bioavailability of ACZ limit its use in the treatment of DME. In this study, a nanoparticulate formulation was developed that would increase the solubility and bioavailability of ACZ and allow it to be administered intravitreally. ACZ was loaded on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-Hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) nanoparticles and the loading efficiency was 71.58 ± 1.22%. Toxicity of nanoparticles after intravitreal application was evaluated with anterior segment and posterior segment examination findings, intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements and electrophysiological tests. At the end of the 3-month follow-up, electroretinography (ERG) measurements demonstrated that ACZ loaded PHBV (PHBV-ACZ) nanoparticles did not cause loss of function in retinal cells. On histological examination, rare degenerative changes were observed in several cell groups. In addition, pharmacokinetic studies were performed to determine the tissue distribution of ACZ at various periods. ACZ was identified in vitreous humor and retina at the highest concentration. Based on our results, the prepared nanoparticle formulation can release long-term CAI for DRP therapy and accordingly can reduce the need for monthly intravitreal injections., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Nagihan UGURLU reports financial support was provided by THE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF TURKEY, 216S700., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the vascular structure of the choroid and each retinal layer in patients with breast cancer on tamoxifen therapy and compare them with healthy subjects., Materials and Methods: 124 eyes of 62 patients with breast cancer who were on tamoxifen therapy (group 1) and 80 eyes of 40 healthy controls (group 2) were included in this prospective cohort study. The structure of the choroid was evaluated using enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) and choroidal binarisation. Spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) was performed to analyse the peripapillary nerve fibre layer thickness (pRNFL) and each retinal layer thickness. A subgroup analysis was performed based on chemotherapy history in Group 1. All parameters were compared between Group 1 and the healthy controls and between the subgroups of Group 1., Results: The subfoveal choroidal thickness and temporal and nasal directions were increased in Group 1 when compared with Group 2 ( p  < 0.05, each comparison). Choroidal vascularity index was significantly decreased in Group 1 compared with Group 2 (63.15 ± 3.11% and 65.37 ± 4.63%, p  < 0.001). There were no significant differences in each retinal layer, pRNFL thickness, and choroid structural parameters between the subgroups of Group 1., Conclusions: Increased choroidal thickness may be the initial finding of subclinical tamoxifen-induced retinopathy. Patients with breast cancer undergoing tamoxifen therapy may be screened prior to tamoxifen therapy and followed during treatment by SD-OCT.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate choroidal vascular status by the choroidal vascularity index (CVI) in adult patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) in remission period., Materials-Methods: 86 patients diagnosed with FMF and 54 healthy controls were recruited in this study. Retinal, ganglion cell complex and peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thicknesses were obtained using Spectralis domain-optical coherence (SD-OCT) tomography. Choroid images were obtained with the enhanced depth imaging mode of SD-OCT, and binarization was applied to the images using ImageJ software. CVI was described as the proportion of the luminal area to the total choroidal area. Blood-derived inflammation markers were calculated by the complete blood count., Results: The subfoveal choroidal thickness and nasal and temporal directions from fovea centralis at 500 μm, 1000 μm and 1500 μm were reduced in patients with FMF in comparison to healthy controls (p<0.001, each comparison). CVI was significantly decreased in patients with FMF compared to controls (62.28±2.2 and 64.79±4.3, p<0.001)., Conclusion: We concluded that the choroidal vasculature structure may be affected prior to retinal changes in patients with FMF., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To assess blood-derived inflammatory markers in macular edema (ME) secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO) with and without serous retinal detachment (SRD)., Materials-Methods: Treatment-naive patients with ME secondary to RVO were divided into two groups according to the existence of SRD in optical coherence tomography (OCT) images; group 1 consisted of 60 patients with SRD, and group 2 consisted of 60 patients without SRD. Age and gender-matched 60 patients formed group 3 as healthy controls. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and systemic inflammation index (SII) were calculated from blood samples to assess the differences in the levels of blood-derived inflammatory markers and the presence of SRD., Results: The PLR, NLR, and SII values were higher in groups 1 and 2 than in group 3 (p<0.05, each comparison). The NLR and SII values were also significantly elevated in group 1 compared to group 2 (p = 0.000 and p = 0.000, respectively). The optimal cutoff value to estimate SRD in patients with ME secondary to RVO for NLR was 2.08 with 66.7% sensitivity and 65% specificity; for SII was 530.93 with 68.3% sensitivity and specificity., Conclusion: SII is a reliable and cost-effective tool for predicting SRD, an inflammatory OCT biomarker in ME secondary to RVO., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Purpose: To evaluate the aqueous and serum levels of sphingolipid metabolism mediators such as sphingosine 1 phosphate (S1P), sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1), sphingosine kinase 2 (SK2), ceramide kinase (CK), and acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) which are thought to take part in diabetic retinopathy (DR) pathogenesis, and development and severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes., Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on type 2 diabetic and control patients who underwent cataract surgery. Three different subgroups, namely, non-diabetic retinopathy (NDR), non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), were allocated and the S1P, SK1, SK2, CK, and ASM levels in the serum and aqueous humor samples of diabetic and control patients were evaluated. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Student's t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used for the statistical analysis of the study., Results: Among a total of 45 patients, including diabetic and control patients, the mean aqueous levels of SK1 (P < 0.001), SK2 (P = 0.012), ASM (P = 0.006), and CK (P = 0.002) were higher in all diabetic patients. The mean aqueous level of S1P was significantly higher in the PDR group than in other groups (P = 0.003). The mean aqueous levels of SK2 and ASM also increased in the NDR, NPDR, and PDR subgroups, respectively (P < 0.001). In addition, the mean serum levels of S1P, SK1, and ASM were higher in the diabetic patients (P = 0.015, P = 0.034, and P = 0.006, respectively)., Conclusion: According to our findings, both aqueous and serum levels of S1P, SK1, and ASM and only the aqueous levels of SK2 and CK were higher in diabetic patients. This study suggested that sphingolipid metabolism may play an important role in DR pathogenesis., Competing Interests: None

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine aqueous humor and serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in diabetic patients with and without retinopathy., Methods: The study included diabetic patients with or without retinopathy, who had an indication for cataract surgery. The study groups were diabetic patients without retinopathy (Group 2), with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (Group 3), and with proliferative retinopathy (Group 4). To quantitatively determine the amount of BDNF in samples, the RayBio Human BDNF ELISA kit (Norcross, GA), based on an enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay was used., Results: The median serum BDNF levels were significantly lower in all the study groups than in the control group (P values: 0.038 Group 2, 0.02 Group 3, and 0.002 Group 4). Serum BDNF was lower in Group 4 than in Group 3 (P = 0.030), and in Group 3 than in Group 2 (P = 0.04). The median aqueous humor BDNF levels were significantly decreased in all groups (P values: 0.047 Group 2, 0.021 Group 3, and 0.007 Group 4). There was no significant difference between Groups 2, 3, and 4 (P = 0.214)., Conclusion: The serum and aqueous humor BDNF levels decreased in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) before the emergence of clinical signs of retinopathy.

Background/aim: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the correlation between the integrity of the outer retinal layers on optical coherence tomography (OCT) and objective parameters of retinal microvascular perfusion on optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA)., Materials and Methods: A total of 105 eyes of 54 diabetic patients were included in the study. Integrity of the outer retinal layers including the external limiting membrane (ELM), ellipsoid zone (EZ), and interdigitation zone (IZ) was assessed by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. The foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area and vessel density (VD) measurements in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) in all the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) sectors were evaluated by OCTA. Associations between the quantitative measurement of the FAZ and retinal VD measurements and outer retinal disruptions were evaluated., Results: The FAZ area was correlated with outer retinal layer disruption both in the superficial plexus (r = 0.244, 0.228, 0.212, P = 0.013, 0.02, 0.031 for the ELM, EZ, and IZ, respectively) and the deep capillary plexus (r = 0.298, 0.234, 0.197, P = 0.002, 0.019, 0.048 for the ELM, EZ, and IZ, respectively). A significant relationship was also found between the VD measurements in the SCP and DCP in ETDRS sectors and the outer retinal layers disruption., Conclusion: The results of the current study show a significant relationship between the quantitative OCTA parameters and the integrity of the outer retinal layers. This finding reveals a correlation between retinal capillary nonperfusion and outer retinal disruption in eyes with diabetic retinopathy., (This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.)

Background: Viral conjunctivitis are the most frequent infections in ophthalmology clinics. The diagnosis is usually relying on clinical findings and medical history. However, topical antibiotics are often used unnecessarily addition to symptomatic treatment because of unsure agents. We aimed to detect the Adenovirus, Coxsackievirus and Enterovirus from conjunctiva and pharyngeal samples of patients., Methods: The conjunctiva and pharyngeal samples of the patients with conjunctivitis were taken by Virocult transport media and kept at -80̊C up to study day. Adenovirus spp, Enterovirus 70 and Enterovirus 71, Coxsackie A24 and Coxsackie A16 were detected by real-time PCR. Samples from healthy health care workers of ophthalmology clinic were used for control group., Results: A total of 176 samples (conjunctival and pharyngeal samples of 62 patient and 26 healthy subjects) were included. The mean age of 34 (55.7%) male and 27 (44.3%) female patients was 34±17. Twenty five (40.3%) of the patients were receiving antibiotic drops at first visit. The main etiologic agent in conjunctival samples was found to be Adenovirus (46/62, 74.2%) followed by Enterovirus 70 (4/62, 6.4%) and Enterovirus 71 (4/62, 6.4%). Coxsackievirus 16 and 24 were also found in 2 patients (1/62 each, 1.6%). Pharyngeal samples were also positive for Adenovirus (20/62, 32.3%), Enterovirus 70 and 71 (7/62, 11.3% and 5/62, 8.1% respectively), Coxsackievirus 16 and 24 (2/62, 3.2% and 1/61, 1.6%)., Conclusions: It is very difficult in viral conjunctivitis to make clinical differentiation caused by different agents because of common clinical signs and symptoms. In routine clinical work, the viral conjunctivitis usually related with Adenovirus. But almost one fourth of the patients' conjunctivitis were not related to Adenovirus, which shows the importance of the laboratory diagnostics. True diagnosis plays an important role on prevention of contamination and unnecessary use of antibiotics in viral conjunctivitis., (Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Infectologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a severe, chronic, and potentially life-threatening autoimmune blistering disease that affects the skin and mucous membranes. Rituximab is a monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody which has been used increasingly in the therapy of PV., Methods: The present study sought to test the efficacy and safety of rituximab as an adjuvant therapy by retrospective analysis of clinical and immunological data for 29 patients with PV who were treated with rituximab between 2010 and 2015. Response to therapy, duration of clinical remission, serology of the response, and adverse effects of rituximab were evaluated., Results: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) follow-up time was 17.48 ± 13.18 months. In all patients, findings showed either a decrease in antibody titers or that antibodies were completely undetectable after therapy. Rituximab use resulted in a significant reduction in steroid dosage during follow-up. At the end of the follow-up period, 26 patients (96.2%) had achieved complete remission with or without therapy (one patient had no follow-up and one patient had died, most probably as the result of a thromboembolic event). In 44.4% of patients, a clinical relapse occurred after a mean ± SD period of 13.1 ± 4.7 months after the initiation of rituximab therapy. Relapses were managed with additional infusions of rituximab., Conclusions: Rituximab is a beneficial and relatively safe adjuvant treatment for PV that facilitates prolonged clinical remission and has a significant steroid-sparing effect., (© 2016 The International Society of Dermatology.)

Aim: Investigating the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), macular and ganglion cell complex thickness in eyes of migraine patients using optical coherence tomography., Methods: The study was designed as an observational cross-sectional study. 50 patients with migraine (30 patients with aura and 20 patients without aura) and 50 healthy volunteers were included. Optical coherence tomography was performed with Optovue technology. The fast RNFL thickness (3.4) scan, MM5, and GCC acquisition protocols were used., Results: There was no statistically significant difference in retinal thickness in any of the quadrants between the control group and the migraine patients (p > 0.05). The average RNFL thickness (110.50 vs 102.84 microns, p = 0.03) was significantly thinner in migrainers as compared to the control. The ANOVA did not reveal any significant difference between migrainers with aura, migrainers without aura, and the control group. The VAS (visual analogue scale) score of migraine patients was not statistically significantly correlated with any of the parameters, while the length of migraine history was negatively correlated with the average RNFL thickness (r = -0.32, p = 0.03)., Conclusion: The average RNFL thickness in the migraine patients was found to be thinner than that in the control group. In addition, we found a negative weak correlation between length of migraine history and the average RNFL thickness, supporting the possible association between these pathologies.

Purpose: The aim of the current study is to compare the effects of two corticosteroids, prednisolone acetate 1% (PA) and loteprednol etabonate 0.5% (LE), for the treatment of benzalkonium chloride (BAC)-induced dry eye syndrome (DES) in rats., Methods: DES was established by topical administration of 0.2% BAC, a commonly used preservative in ophthalmic drugs, for 1 week. Rats were divided into 3 groups just after establishment of DES: PA-treated (Group 1, n=10), LE-treated (Group 2, n=10), and vehicle-treated (Group 3, n=10). Rats were treated by topical administration of PA, LE, or vehicle twice daily for 1 week. The Schirmer test, break-up time score, Fluorescein staining, Rose Bengal staining, and inflammatory index scoring (IIS) tests were performed at all weeks. After the end of the study, eyes of the rats were enucleated and analyzed using light microscopy., Results: The mean aqueous tear volume was significantly increased in both PA- and LE-treated rats (P<0.05), although decreased in vehicle-treated rats (P>0.05). Histologically, diffuse inflammatory cell infiltration was observed in vehicle-treated rats, while inflammation induced by BAC was almost completely resolved in both PA- and LE-treated groups., Conclusions: In the current study, we showed that both PA and LE are effective treatments in a rat model of BAC-induced DES, which is commonly observed in clinics. No significant differences were observed between the 2 corticosteroids in the efficacy of BAC-induced type of DES treatment.

Purpose: We investigate changes in macular choroidal thickness in eyes without diabetic retinopathy of patients with various durations of diabetes, using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI OCT)., Methods: The 134 Type-2 diabetic patients who presented without diabetic retinopathy were prospectively imaged using EDI OCT on Heidelberg Spectralis (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) sd-OCT. The patients with diabetes were classified into three groups, according to the duration of diabetes: Group I (5-9 years, n = 63); Group II (10-14 years, n = 37); Group III (15-40 years, n = 34). The retinal and choroidal thickness was evaluated between these groups at central fovea and at the regions at 500-mm intervals up to 1500 mm temporal and nasal to the fovea., Results: The central foveal retinal thickness was significantly different between groups (group I: 273.05 ± 19.51 µ, group II: 267.12 ± 20.78 µ, group III: 261.34 ± 22.27 µ; p = 0.04). The choroidal thickness measurements at central fovea, at 500, 1000, and 1500 micron intervals temporal and nasal to the center of the fovea were not significantly different between groups. The duration of diabetes was weakly correlated with choroidal thickness in all measured distances and they were not statistically significant. The central foveal choroidal thickness was weakly correlated with serum creatinine (r = -0.18, p = 0.03)., Conclusion: Foveal retinal thickness was significantly decreased in patients with longer duration of diabetes. Duration of diabetes does not seem to be related to foveal chorodial thickness. On the other hand, the weak relation between creatinine and choroidal thickness may be evaluated further. The choroidal thickness changes that may be an early sign of nephropathy can be submitted to an easy, noninvasive scanning test at the same time.

Context: The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), used in the treatment of rheumatologic disease, has been associated with the development of retinopathy. The long-term incidence of HCQ retinopathy has been estimated at 0.5% when recommended dosages (≤6.5 mg/kg per day) are used., Objective: Evaluating the patients for whom HCQ treatment will be started before and after treatment prospectively with spectral domain (sd) optical coherence tomography (OCT) to observe possible early changes in the retinal and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness., Materials and Methods: Thirty-six patients from rheumatology clinic who have been started HCQ therapy had clinical examination and sdOCT imaging before and 6 months after starting treatment. The baseline ophthalmological examinations and visual field analysis (on automated Humphrey visual field (HVF) 10-2 perimetry, Humphrey HFA II-i 750 i, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany) were completely normal. The sdOCT was performed with the Optovue technology according to the manufacturer's guidelines using EMM5, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) scans. The retinal thickness values in central foveal, inferior and superior hemispheres, temporal, superior, nasal and inferior para- and perifoveal areas and the RNFL thickness of eyes were compared before and 6 months after starting treatment by the paired t test., Results: The retinal thickness values in central parafoveal (p = 0.02), and superior hemisphere (p = 0.01) in parafoveal area, parafoveal superior (p = 0.02), temporal (p = 0.03) and nasal (p = 0.04) quadrants were significantly thicker after 6 months of treatment. The thickness of the perifoveal area and the average RNFL thickness was not significantly different in any of the quadrants before and after starting HCQ treatment. The GCC thickness also did not change significantly different in superior and inferior hemisphere after starting treatment., Discussion and Conclusion: We observe increased retinal thickness in parafoveal areas in patients on HCQ therapy at short term. Its clinical significance may be apparent in longer follow up studies.

Purpose: To evaluate the oxidative stress status and anti-oxidative defence in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD)., Methods: A total of 22 patients diagnosed with AMD and 23 age-matched healthy controls were included in the present study. Serum levels of total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), total thiol status (TTS) and paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity were investigated from samples., Results: Significant increase in TOS levels were observed in sera of AMD patients (25.3 ± 12.8) compared to controls (15.0 ± 4.4). TTS (404.3 ± 55.3) and serum PON1 enzyme activities (163.0 ± 65.5) were significantly lower in AMD patients (594.0 ± 64.2) relative to control groups (252.8 ± 132.7)., Conclusion: The results of the present study show that there is a significant increase in oxidative stress in AMD patients and significant decrease in antioxidant defence, in the total thiol level and in PON1 activity in AMD patients compared with controls. The increased oxidative stress and decreased antioxidant levels may have a synergistic role in AMD development.

Objective: Endothelial dysfunction plays an important role in the development of diabetic retinopathy. The aim of this study was to evaluate endothelial dysfunction using different approaches in patients with type 1 diabete mellitus with early stages of diabetic retinopathy. For this purpose, we investigated the serum levels of cellular adhesion molecules, including intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) and endothelin-1 (ET-1), which have emerged as specific markers of endothelial dysfunction, and measured the flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), a noninvasive technique used to evaluate endothelial dysfunction., Methods: The study group included 59 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) and 30 age-matched healthy control subjects. The diabetic patients were divided into two groups according to the ophthalmoscopic findings: Group 1, composed of type 1 diabetic patients having no signs of diabetic retinopathy (DRP), and Group 2, composed of type 1 diabetic patients having findings of the early stages of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR)., Results: The serum levels of ET-1 (fmol/mL), ICAM-1 (ng/mL) and VCAM-1 (ng/mL) were 8.52±0.699 vs. 478.39±46.22 vs. 728.64±35.081 in the patients without retinopathy, 8.91±1.354 vs. 451.79±48.262 vs. 863.59±62.37 in the diabetic patients with NPDR and 10.73±1.04 vs. 608.15±74.92 vs. 872.95±57.63 in the control group. There were no significant differences in the serum levels of the three molecules between the groups. The FMD values were 6.51±0.46% in the diabetic patients without retinopathy, 6.66±0.29% in the diabetic patients with NPDR and 6.68±0.51% in the control group. No significant differences were found between the groups., Conclusion: The early stages of diabetic retinopathy cannot be considered in the evaluation of systemic markers of endothelial dysfunction.

Aim: The aim of the current study was to translate the Hung Postpartum Stress Scale into Turkish and test the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the scale., Methods: The translation process of the Hung Postpartum Stress Scale into Turkish and the testing of reliability and validity of the newly developed scale on postpartum stress in women are described. The questionnaire was translated using a back-translation technique. Expert review of internal consistency reliability, content validity, factor analysis of construct validity and criterion-related validity were examined., Results: Cronbach's alpha for the Turkish version of the Hung Postpartum Stress Scale was 0.931, indicating very good reliability. Factor analyses resulted in a two factor scale structure: maternal concerns and acceptability of the newborn by the family. Analyses also indicated good test-re-test reliability for the Turkish version of the Hung Postpartum Stress Scale (P < 0.01)., Conclusions: The present study describes the design of a Turkish version of the Hung Postpartum Stress Scale. The newly developed scale proved to be reliable and valid and will be a valuable instrument for women's healthcare professionals., (© 2012 The Authors. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research © 2012 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.)

Here, we report a new case with chromosome 22q11 deletion and cardiac anomaly diagnosed prenatally by echocardiography. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis demonstrated a heterozygous deletion at 22q11.2. Echocardiography revealed ventricular septal defect, pulmonary atresia, and aneurysm of the main pulmonary artery and its branches. Pulmonary artery aneurysm (PAA) is rarely seen in patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22qDS). In this case, PAA was found by prenatal echocardiographic examination at the 25th week of gestation. To date, no prenatally diagnosed case of 22qDS with PAA has been reported. This is the first 22qDS case with PAA that was detected prenatally by FISH analysis.

The size of brain ventricles is especially relevant in some brain diseases such as epilepsy, schizophrenia and other neurodegenerative diseases. Many studies have been conducted to assess the brain ventricles. To the best of our knowledge, however, there is no fourth, third and lateral ventricles volume study evaluating the efficiency and accuracy of point-counting and planimetry methods of the Cavalieri principle in the literature. In the current study, we estimated the volume of intracerebral ventricles in normal subjects using stereological methods. The volumes of fourth, third and lateral ventricle were estimated in 14 young Turkish volunteers (7 males and 7 females), aged between 18 and 36 years and free of any neurological symptoms and signs, using serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Volumes of intracerebral ventricles were determined on MRIs using the point-counting and planimetry methods. The mean results of the point-counting method were 14.7 +/- 4.2, 8.7 +/- 3.0 and 131.8 +/- 33.1 mm(3) for the fourth, third and lateral ventricles, respectively. The mean results of the planimetry method were 15.4 +/- 3.4, 8.6 +/- 3.5 and 153.7 +/- 34.6 mm(3) for the fourth, third and lateral ventricles, respectively. Ventricle volumes obtained by the two different methods were not statistically different (p > 0.05) and they correlated well with each other. Good agreement was found between results obtained with the point-counting and planimetry techniques. The findings of the present study using stereological methods could provide data for the evaluation of normal and pathological volumes of intracerebral ventricles.