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Carriers of apparently balanced chromosomal rearrangements (ABCRs) have a 2-3-fold higher risk of carrying an abnormal phenotype, when compared to the average population. Apparently balanced chromosomal rearrangements can be imbalanced at the submicroscopic level, and changes in the gene structure, formation of a new chimeric gene, gain or loss of function of the genes and altered imprinting pattern may also affect the phenotype. Chromosomal microarray (CMA) is an efficient tool to detect submicroscopic imbalances at the breakpoints as well as in the whole genome. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of array-comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) application in phenotypically affected cases with ABCRs at a single center from Turkey. Thirty-four affected cases (13 prenatal, 21 postnatal) carrying ABCRs were investigated with CMA. In postnatal series, ABCRs were familial in 7 and de novo in 14 cases. Seven de novo cases were imbalanced (in postnatal series 33.3% and in de novo cases 50.0%). Out of 13 prenatal cases, five were familial and eight were de novo in origin and two de novo cases were imbalanced (in 15.4% prenatal series and in 25.0% de novo cases). No cryptic imbalance was observed in familial cases. The anomaly rates with array studies ranged between 14.3-25.0% in familial and between 20.0-57.5% in de novo cases of postnatal series in the literature. Studies focused on prenatal ABCR cases with abnormal ultrasound findings are limited and no submicroscopic imbalance was reported in the cohorts. When de novo postnatal or prenatal results were combined, the percentage of abnormalities detected by CMA was 40.9%. Taking this contribution into consideration, all ABCRs should be investigated by CMA even if the fetal ultrasound findings are normal.

The main problems of the nature and management of agricultural land under the conditions of modern soil management have been considered. Among the processes which cause soil structure decline on the Crimean peninsula, predominate: erosion, deflation, dehumification, secondary salinization and alkalinization of previously irrigated areas, overgrowing of agricultural land with shrubs and light forests, and some other processes leading to loss of soil fertility. Considerable attention has been paid to the problem of developing a system for soil resources monitoring. It has been noted that the main problems in the rational management of agricultural land in the region are: the imperfection of the regional monitoring system for the nature, conservation, management and protection of soil cover, and the lack of reliable and complete information on the nature of agricultural land.

This study was performed in ticks collected with the flagging method from localities situated along Anatolian side of Istanbul to the Bulgarian border of Turkey which is under the effect of Black Sea climate. All ticks which were collected seasonally were screened for the presence of B. burgdorferi s.l. and Rickettsia spp. in pools. As a result, indicated agents were revealed to be common in ticks of studied localities, Ixodes ricinus being the predominant tick which was active throughout the year.

Carriers of apparently balanced chromosomal rearrangements (ABCRs) have a 2-3-fold higher risk of carrying an abnormal phenotype, when compared to the average population. Apparently balanced chromosomal rearrangements can be imbalanced at the submicroscopic level, and changes in the gene structure, formation of a new chimeric gene, gain or loss of function of the genes and altered imprinting pattern may also affect the phenotype. Chromosomal microarray (CMA) is an efficient tool to detect submicroscopic imbalances at the breakpoints as well as in the whole genome. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of array-comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) application in phenotypically affected cases with ABCRs at a single center from Turkey. Thirty-four affected cases (13 prenatal, 21 postnatal) carrying ABCRs were investigated with CMA. In postnatal series, ABCRs were familial in 7 and de novo in 14 cases. Seven de novo cases were imbalanced (in postnatal series 33.3% and in de novo cases 50.0%). Out of 13 prenatal cases, five were familial and eight were de novo in origin and two de novo cases were imbalanced (in 15.4% prenatal series and in 25.0% de novo cases). No cryptic imbalance was observed in familial cases. The anomaly rates with array studies ranged between 14.3-25.0% in familial and between 20.0-57.5% in de novo cases of postnatal series in the literature. Studies focused on prenatal ABCR cases with abnormal ultrasound findings are limited and no submicroscopic imbalance was reported in the cohorts. When de novo postnatal or prenatal results were combined, the percentage of abnormalities detected by CMA was 40.9%. Taking this contribution into consideration, all ABCRs should be investigated by CMA even if the fetal ultrasound findings are normal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, effect of mycorrhiza on growth criteria and phosphorus nutrition of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under different phosphorus fertilization rates were investigated. Phosphorus were added into growing media as 0, 50, 100 and 200 mg P2O5/kg with and without mycorrhiza applications. Phosphorus applications significantly increased yield criteria of lettuce according to the control treatment statistically. Mycorrhiza application also significantly increased plant diameter, plant dry weight and phosphor uptake by plant. The highest phosphorus uptakes by plants were determined in 200 mg P2O5/kg treatments as 88.8 mg P/pot with mycorrhiza and 83.1 mg P/pot without mycorrhiza application. In the control at 0 doses of phosphorus with mycorrhiza treatment, phosphorus uptake (69.9 mg P/pot), edible weight (84.36 g), dry weight (8.64 g) and leaf number (28) of lettuce were higher than that (47.7 mg P/pot, 59.33 g, 6.75 g and 20, respectively) in the control without mycorrhiza application. It was determined that mycorrhiza had positive effect on growth criteria and phosphorus nutrition by lettuce plant, and this effect decreased at higher phosphorus application rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of several feature extraction and feature selection approaches on filtering of short message service (SMS) spam messages in two different languages, namely Turkish and English. The entire feature set of filtering framework consists of the features originated from the bag-of-words (BoW) model along with the ensemble of structural features (SF) specific to spam problem. The distinctive BoW features are identified using information theoretic feature selection methods. Various combinations of the BoW and SF are then fed into widely used pattern classification algorithms to classify SMS messages. The filtering framework is evaluated on both Turkish and English SMS message datasets. For this purpose, as part of the study, the first publicly available Turkish SMS message collection is constituted as well. Comprehensive experimental analysis on the respective datasets revealed that the combinations of BoW and SFs, rather than BoW features alone, provide better classification performance on both datasets. Effectiveness of the utilized feature selection methods however slightly differs in each language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial disease of the skin. Several studies have shown that elevated levels of serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) correlate with overproduction of sebum and acne. Recently functional relationship between IGF-I (CA) polymorphism and circulating IGF-I levels in adults has been reported. Aims The aim of our study was to investigate for the first time whether IGF-I (CA) polymorphism might be involved in the pathogenesis of acne or not. Methods We included 115 acne patients and 117 healthy subjects to the study. The clinical grade of acne was assessed based on the Global Acne Grading System. Participants were questioned about diabetes mellitus, PCOS and other systemic disease. We searched for the IGF-I (CA) 19 polymorphism in this study. The IGF-I (CA) 19 polymorphism was performed by polymerase chain reaction. Results We categorized the IGF-I (CA) 19 polymorphism area into three groups as lower than 192 bp, 192–194 bp and higher than 194 bp. We found that the frequency of genotype IGF-1 (CA) 19 gene was significantly different between control and acne patients (P = 0.0002). A significant association between IGF-I (CA) genotypes and severity of acne was found (P = 0.015). No significant difference was found between male and female patients (P > 0.05). Conclusions Our results suggest that IGF-I (CA) 19 polymorphism may contribute to a predisposition to acne in Turkish patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a clinically heterogeneous disease diagnosed on the presence of a constellation of clinical and laboratory findings. At the pathogenetic level, multiple factors using diverse biochemical and molecular pathways have been recognized. Succinct recognition and classification of clinical disease subsets, as well as the availability of disease biomarkers, remains largely unsolved. Based on information produced by the present authors’ and other laboratories, a lupus gene expression array consisting of 30 genes, previously claimed to contribute to aberrant function of T cells, was developed. An additional eight genes were included as controls. Peripheral blood was obtained from 10 patients (19 samples) with SLE and six patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as well as 19 healthy controls. T cell mRNA was subjected to reverse transcription and PCR, and the gene expression levels were measured. Conventional statistical analysis was performed along with principal component analysis (PCA) to capture the contribution of all genes to disease diagnosis and clinical parameters. The lupus gene expression array faithfully informed on the expression levels of genes. The recorded changes in expression reflect those reported in the literature by using a relatively small (5 ml) amount of peripheral blood. PCA of gene expression levels placed SLE samples apart from normal and RA samples regardless of disease activity. Individual principal components tended to define specific disease manifestations such as arthritis and proteinuria. Thus, a lupus gene expression array based on genes previously claimed to contribute to immune pathogenesis of SLE may define the disease, and principal components of the expression of 30 genes may define patients with specific disease manifestations. Lupus (2011) 20, 243—249. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a case of chemosis (conjunctival edema) as an early manifestation of severe systemic lupus erythematosus affecting multiple organs, including the central nervous system and the kidneys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Dermatology / Turk Dermatoloji Dergisis is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: We analysed the production of soluble tumour necrosis factor receptors sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 at sites of inflammation and measured their plasma concentrations to evaluate them as biological markers of disease activity. Methods: Plasma samples of 35 patients with Behçet's disease (BD) were collected prospectively at monthly intervals and grouped for inactive disease, active BD without arthritis, and active BD with arthritis. sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 concentrations were measured using immunoassays and compared with other biological disease activity parameters. Plasma sTNFR levels were compared to synovial fluid (SF) levels in seven patients. Sixteen tissue samples of mucocutaneous lesions were stained for TNFR2 expression by immunohistochemistry. Results: sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 were found at increased plasma concentrations in active BD, with the highest concentration in active BD with arthritis (p<0.001). Concentrations of both sTNFRs were at least three times higher in SF of arthritic joints than in the corresponding plasma samples (p = 0.025). A change of more than 1 ng/mL of sTNFR2 plasma concentrations correlated with a concordant change in arthritic activity (96% confidence interval). Sensitivity to change was superior to that of sTNFR1, and other biological disease activity parameters such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgA, and interleukin (IL)-10 plasma concentrations. A strong staining for TNFR2 was found in mucocutaneous lesions, where mast cells were identified as the major source for this receptor. Conclusions: This longitudinal study demonstrates that sTNFR2 plasma concentrations are closely linked with active BD, and especially with arthritis. Taken together with the expression of TNFR molecules in mast cells of mucocutaneous lesions, our results indicate a fundamental role for the TNF/TNFR pathway in BD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of Hylan G-F 20 (Synvisc; Genzyme Biosurgery, Ridgefield, New Jersey, USA) injections on clinical and biomechanical gait characteristics of patients with knee osteoarthritis. The design was a before-after trial, set in the gait laboratory of the rehabilitation unit of a university hospital. Twelve patients participated with an average age (+/-SD) of 63.2+/-4.4 years, and Kellgren and Lawrence grade II or III knee osteoarthritis. The main outcome measures were the Western Ontario McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and time-distance, kinematic and kinetic parameters of gait. The intervention used was a single course of three bilateral intra-articular injections of 2 ml Hylan G-F 20. One week after the treatment, the pain subscore and total score of WOMAC decreased from 9.2+/-2.7 to 4.8+/-3.1 and from 42.1+/-15.2 to 37.9+/-13.5, respectively. There was improvement in sagittal plane excursions of the knee (from 40.2+/-8.1 to 43.3+/-8.5), in extensor and adductor moments (from 0.26+/-0.2 to 0.14+/-0.1 and from 0.45+/-0.1 to 0.41+/-0.1, respectively), and in scaled vertical forces (from 85.8+/-4.5 to 88.4+/-5.4). All these differences were statistically significant.In conclusion, intra-articular Hylan G-F 20 injections not only decrease pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis, but can alter the natural history of the disease by decreasing excessive loads in the knees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the effect of duct width on fully developed turbulent air-flow characteristics in a corrugated is investigated numerically. The k-ε model is adopted for turbulent closure, and the governing equations in three dimensions are solved using a finite volume technique. The calculations were performed with the width aspect ratio (interwall spacing/channel width) ranging from 0.1 to 1.0, with the Reynolds numbers ranging from about 2000 to 15000, and corrugation angles of 30° and 45°. an experimental study was also performed for pressure drop, velocity, and flow visualization. The detailed predictions are compared with the experimental measurements, and a good agreement between the two is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the energy expenditure of walking with different aids in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to compare the results with normal able-bodied control subjects. The tests were performed on a 20 m indoor path in a comprehensive rehabilitation clinic of a university hospital. Nine male patients with incomplete SCI at various levels from C6 to L2 and nine age- and gender-matched normal able-bodied subjects were enrolled in the study. Two different walking aids were evaluated: walker and crutch. The main outcome parameters--walking velocity, oxygen uptake and oxygen cost--were measured during ambulation with the two different walking aids. There was a statistically significant difference between controls and SCI patients in terms of walking velocity (P<0.001), and oxygen cost (crutches P<0.01; walker P<0.001). SCI patients walked more slowly and less efficiently. When we compared SCI patients' walking with the two different aids, a statistically significant difference was observed in velocity and oxygen cost (P<0.05) in favour of crutches. We concluded that energy expenditure studies are useful tools for giving objective measures to patients at the time of discharge and to encourage them to use efficient assistive devices in their daily activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that assessed the degree to which environmental barriers impact social participation after spinal cord injury. Background to the study; Methods; Results and discussion.

Periodic fully developed fluid flow characteristics are obtained numerically for threedimensional turbulent flow in a corrugated duct. The method is based on the fully conserved control-volume representation of fully elliptic Navier-Stokes equations in a nonorthogonal body-fitted coordinate system. Turbulence is modeled via the two-equation (k-ε) model. The computations were performed for the ratio of the corrugation height to the interwall spacing ranging from 0.45 to 2.0, and for the corrugation angles of 30° and 45°. Experiments were also performed for pressure drop, velocity, and turbulence measurements, and for flow visualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Dermatology / Turk Dermatoloji Dergisis is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Familial lichen amyloidosis which is also referred to familial primary cutaneous amyloidosis is a rare clinical variant of cutaneous amyloidosis. Lichen amyloidosis is characterized by persistent, pruritic, small brown papules often located on anterior surfaces of legs which show tendency to form plaques. Amyloid deposits would be identified in papillary dermis in histopathological examination. In our clinic, a 42 year old woman with a widespread involvement describing that similar skin findings were present in her both daughters, elder brother and her nephew was evaluated with suspicion of lichen amyloidosis. In histopathological examination of the involved skin, because of determining amyloid deposits in papillary dermis the case was cited as lichen amyloidosis. Our case was searched for the accompanying diseases such as atopic dermatitis, chronic urticaria, lichen planus, multiple endocrine neoplasia and Kimura disease. The family story of our patient was consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance. Familial lichen amyloidosis has been reported as cases with autosomal dominant inheritance from Russia, Germany, United Kingdom and South America. The genetic researches over familial lichen amylodiosis are limited to the cases with multiple endocrine neoplasia. In this rarely reported cases, further genetical researches are necessary in order to determine the responsible gen locus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]