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Purpose. To review the long-term results of 14 cases of histopathologically confirmed schwannoma of the hand and wrist treated with intracapsular tumour removal. Methods. All operations were performed under loupe magnification and microsurgical dissection, and the tumour was removed after capsular (including endoneurium) incision. Patients were assessed for any residual symptoms. Sensory testing of light touch and pain was carried out. Results. The mean age of the patients at the time of operation was 38.4 years (range, 11–78 years), and the mean follow-up period was 12.6 years (range, 3–36 years). Ten of the tumours were located in the median nerve distribution, whereas 4 in the ulnar nerve distribution. Four tumours were at the wrist level, 3 at the palm level, and 7 at the digital level (3 in the index finger). Only 5 patients were correctly diagnosed preoperatively. Neurological loss was not recovered in one patient in whom the tumour was resected with the digital nerve. No recurrence or muscle atrophy was noted at the latest follow-up. Conclusion. Meticulous dissection with magnification can achieve complete tumour removal without neurological loss or recurrence. Intracapsular tumour removal provides good results with a low complication rate.

TiAl based intermetallics are widely used for structural applications in aviation, chemical engineering, automotive and sports equipment. In this study, the electrical resistance sintering (ERS) technology used in the production of gamma-TiAl intermetallics is based on the principle of applying pressure simultaneously with a high-density electric current. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cyclic oxidation resistance of Ti-44Al-3Mo and Ti-44Al-3Nb alloys (at.%) and the applicability of artificial neural network (ANN) modeling for the forecast of the oxidation behavior of these alloys. In order to obtain this aim, the alloys sintered by ERS were oxidized at 900°C for 360 h and then the oxidation behaviors of them are evaluated by plotting a graph between weight change as a function of time. The data collected after the oxidation experiments were used to construct the prediction models. The modelling results show that a good agreement between experimental results and prediction results was found. The oxidized alloys were characterized using XRD and SEM-EDS. The XRD patterns revealed the oxidation products are composed of TiO2 and Al2O3 oxides. SEM-EDS analysis indicated that the oxide scales of alloys are made up of a multilayered structure.

Purpose: Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive intracellular pathogen that cause listeriosis, a fatal foodborne disease for human and animals. Pathogenesis of L. monocytogenes is tightly controlled by transcriptional regulators. Among these regulators, we found the genome of L. monocytogenes F2365 contains seven members of the DeoR-family of regulators. Although some members of the DeoR-family have been studied in several bacteria, its function in L. monocytogenes is unexplored, even though sugar metabolism is crucial for virulence. The goal of the present study was to assess the importance of fruR (LMOF2365_2307), which encodes a DeoR-family transcriptional regulator, in the virulence of L. monocytogenes. Methods & Materials: Overlap extension PCR and allelic exchange were used to construct an L. monocytogenes strain lacking fruR (ΔfruR). To determine the role in in vivo and intracellular virulence, mice model challenges and plaque assay in murine L2 fibroblast cell lines were conducted, respectively. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis were performed to identify upregulation and downregulation of genes due to deletion of fruR. Results: In the murine model, deletion of fruR severely decreased virulence compared to parent F2365 strain, and constitutive activation of PrfA, a key virulence regulator of L. monocytogenes, did not restore virulence to ΔfruR strain. Moreover, ΔfruR strain was defective for cell-to-cell spread in L2 fibroblast cells. The ΔfruR strain had an increased lag phase compared to F2365 during growth in media with H2O2, suggesting that FruR contributes to survival of L. monocytogenes during oxidative stress. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis revealed that glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) genes were significantly affected by fruR deletion. In particular, FruR induces expression of genes encoding PPP enzymes and suppresses glycolysis genes. Taken together, these results suggest a novel virulence mechanism whereby FruR upregulates the PPP, and this upregulation is necessary for full protection from oxidative stress. Conclusion: This study clarifies the role of FruR in controlling L. monocytogenes carbon metabolism and provides a new mechanism allowing metabolic adaptation of L. monocytogenes to oxidative stress and may assist in the development of intervention strategies to control Listeria infection.

ABSTRACT This experimental study was performed to investigate whether there is a protective effect of different doses of Glucomannan using against aflatoxicosis in Japanese quail, and pathological changes and relative organ weights were compared. In the experiment, 60 one-day old male Japanese quails were used as divided into six different groups. Experimental groups were designated as Control(C), aflatoxin(A), glucomannan(GM), 2-fold dose of glucomannan(2GM), aflatoxin+glucomannan(A+GM) and aflatoxin+2-fold dose of glucomannan(A+2GM). While control group quails fed the standard ration as ad libitum, other groups were fed with the administrations additionally to standard diet respectively; 2mg/kg of aflatoxin to group A, 1g/kg of glucomannan to group GM, 2g/kg of glucomannan to group 2GM, 2mg/kg of aflatoxin and 1g/kg glucomannan to group A+GM, 2mg/kg of aflatoxin and 2g/kg glucomannan to group A+2GM. All quails were euthanized at day 21 of the study and organs, (liver, spleen, kidney, thymus and bursa of Fabricius) were removed, weighed and subjected to routine histopathological procedures. Although any important macroscopic changes were not observed in the C, GM and 2GM groups, significant pathological changes were found in the groups of A, A+GM and A+2GM. In the A+GM group, the partial reduction in the severity of microscopic lesions were seen in liver, bursa of Fabricius, thymus and spleen, however a significant reduction in severity of lesions was noticed in A+2GM group. As a result of the study, 2g/kg of glucomannan has been found pathologically to be more effective than 1g/kg glucomannan in terms of the protection against aflatoxicosis by giving orally.

Web based geographic information systems (GIS) has great potential based on developments in internet and web technology. Web based GIS is a network based tool that takes advantage of internet with visualizing, analysing and accessing of distributed data and analysis functions. With the length of 30 kilometres, the Bosphorus provides an essential zone that offers great maritime traffic services. This shipping way which connects The Black Sea and The Mediterranean Sea through The Marmara Sea, has no alternative and it is substantial for economies of Black Sea countries. The Bosphorus is one of most important natural straits in the world handling 150 transit ships, 23 freighters with dangerous cargo and 2500 local transport ships with 2 million passengers on daily basis. In this study, it is aimed to create a web based GIS application for an effective coast management which includes berthing factors (anchorage areas, currents, submerged, etc.), maritime traffic factors (traffic separation schemes, traffic flow directions), closed areas and other factors (lighthouses, buoys, beacons, etc.) by digitizing printed navigation charts produced by Turkish Naval Forces, Office of Navigation, Hydrography and Oceanography.

Background: Endovenous thermal ablation of the small saphenous vein carries a risk for sural nerve injury. Ablation above mid-calf level is recommended to avoid it. However, this strategy could not eradicate this complication. We present our results of consecutive 30 small saphenous vein thermal ablations which are performed after ultrasonographic identification of the sural nerve. Methods: We studied 26 consecutive subjects with a total of 30 limbs. Ablation was performed proximal to the risk point by a 1470-nm diode laser. Patients were asked to attend follow-up outpatient controls at 7 days, 30 days, and 180 days postoperatively. Rate of identification of the sural nerve by ultrasonography, safety of the mid-calf level as a puncture site and postoperative sural nerve damage were assessed. Results: The sural nerve identification was achieved by ultrasonography in all patients except for one. Mid-calf level as a puncture site was not safe in three (10%) extremities. None of the patients showed any evidence suggesting postoperative sural nerve damage. Conclusion: Choosing the puncture site according to the risk point may be more reasonable than general mid-calf level which is being used.