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BACKGROUND: Easily accessible biomarkers are needed for the early identification of individuals at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) in large population screening strategies. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the potential of plasma ß-amyloid (Aß) biomarkers in identifying early stages of AD and predicting cognitive decline over the following two years. DESIGN: Total plasma Aß42/40 ratio (TP42/40) was determined in 83 cognitively normal individuals (CN) and 145 subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI) stratified by an FDG-PET AD-risk pattern. RESULTS: Significant lower TP42/40 ratio was found in a-MCI patients compared to CN. Moreover, a-MCIs with a high-risk FDG-PET pattern for AD showed even lower plasma ratio levels. Low TP42/40 at baseline increased the risk of progression to dementia by 70%. Furthermore, TP42/40 was inversely associated with neocortical amyloid deposition (measured with PiB-PET) and was concordant with the AD biomarker profile in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CONCLUSIONS: TP42/40 demonstrated value in the identification of individuals suffering a-MCI, in the prediction of progression to dementia, and in the detection of underlying AD pathology revealed by FDG-PET, Amyloid-PET and CSF biomarkers, being, thus, consistently associated with all the well-established indicators of AD.

BACKGROUND: Easily accessible biomarkers are needed for the early identification of individuals at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) in large population screening strategies. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the potential of plasma ß-amyloid (Aß) biomarkers in identifying early stages of AD and predicting cognitive decline over the following two years. DESIGN: Total plasma Aß42/40 ratio (TP42/40) was determined in 83 cognitively normal individuals (CN) and 145 subjects with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI) stratified by an FDG-PET AD-risk pattern. RESULTS: Significant lower TP42/40 ratio was found in a-MCI patients compared to CN. Moreover, a-MCIs with a high-risk FDG-PET pattern for AD showed even lower plasma ratio levels. Low TP42/40 at baseline increased the risk of progression to dementia by 70%. Furthermore, TP42/40 was inversely associated with neocortical amyloid deposition (measured with PiB-PET) and was concordant with the AD biomarker profile in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CONCLUSIONS: TP42/40 demonstrated value in the identification of individuals suffering a-MCI, in the prediction of progression to dementia, and in the detection of underlying AD pathology revealed by FDG-PET, Amyloid-PET and CSF biomarkers, being, thus, consistently associated with all the well-established indicators of AD.

Reproductive rights are shaped by different political ideologies and remain a hotly contested policy issue in most parts of the world. In Turkey the disputes concerning these rights have grown since 2002, when a conservative government assumed power. Analyzing how both governmental and civil society actors have discussed and framed reproductive policies primarily in reference to religion since the ascension of the Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi (Justice and Development Party; AKP), this article focuses on debates that took place in 2012 about abortion and caesarean birth. The critical discourse and frame analysis, based on online speeches and media articles of these actors from November 2002 through 2014, reveal a remarkable diversity both in the interpretation of Islamic teachings and in a group of actors with similar ideological orientation. The article concludes by arguing for the need to move beyond the Islamic versus secular divide and to denaturalize and dehomogenize the role of religion in the public sphere.

U ovoj doktorskoj disertaciji dat je predlog dizajna algoritma i metodologije za procenu indikatora suše – MEPIS. Istraživanje metoda praćenja suše obuhvatilo je tri tradicionalna indikatora i jedan novo formirani. Sve ukupno analizirano je 16 varijacija četiri odabrana indeksa suše period istraživanja obuhvatio je 62 godine, 1951-2012. Analize indikatora ukazale su na opravdanost menjanja pristupa pristupa problematici suše i odstupanja od stohastičkog razmatranja njene pojave i pristupanja termodinamičkim osnovama suše. Modelovanje suše po analogiji sa procesom sušenja vazduhom pokazalo je zadovoljavajuće rezultate i kao agregat ovog pristupa dobijen je IDEA indeks za praćenje uslova koji pogoduju suši. Kao indeks suše koji se striktno bazira na simulaciji fizičkih procesa ukazuje na mogućnost definisanja fizičkog stanja atmosfere koji odgovara stanju suše i korak je ka uniformnoj fizičkoj definiciji suše na osnovu uslova koji je uzrokuju. MEPIS u svojoj punoj formi bi dao dovoljno argumenata da se određeni indeksi koriste operativno i mogao bi opravdati neophodne investicije u tehničke i ljudske resurse., In this doctoral dissertation have been proposed the designs of the algorithm andmethodology for drought indicator assessment –MEPIS. Methods of droughtmonitoring were assessed. Three traditional drought indicators and one newlydeveloped were investigated. In total 16 variations of four selected drought indicatorswere analyzed. Research covered period of 62 years, from 1951-2012. Analyses haveresulted with justification that approach to the drought problem should be changedfrom stochastic to the one based on thermodynamics of drought. Modelling of droughtin analogy with air drying has shown satisfactory results and as an aggregate of thisapproach was obtained IDEA drought indicator. Developed indicator showedsignificant progress in identifying meteorological conditions that favor the developmentof drought. It proves it is possible to define physical conditions that correspond to thestate of drought. It is step forward to uniform definition of drought phenomena. MEPISin its full form would give enough arguments to make decision about usage of testeddrought indicators and could justify the necessary investments in the technical andhuman resources.