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Abstract Background Astronauts undergoing long-duration spaceflight are exposed to numerous health risks, including Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS), a spectrum of ophthalmic changes that can result in permanent loss of visual acuity. The etiology of SANS is not well understood but is thought to involve changes in cerebrovascular flow dynamics in response to microgravity. There is a paucity of knowledge in this area; in particular, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow dynamics have not been well characterized under microgravity conditions. Our study was designed to determine the effect of simulated microgravity (head-down tilt [HDT]) on cerebrovascular flow dynamics. We hypothesized that microgravity conditions simulated by acute HDT would result in increases in CSF pulsatile flow. Methods In a prospective cohort study, we measured flow in major cerebral arteries, veins, and CSF spaces in fifteen healthy volunteers using phase contrast magnetic resonance (PCMR) before and during 15° HDT. Results We found a decrease in all CSF flow variables [systolic peak flow (p = 0.009), and peak-to-peak pulse amplitude (p = 0.001)]. Cerebral arterial average flow (p = 0.04), systolic peak flow (p = 0.04), and peak-to-peak pulse amplitude (p = 0.02) all also significantly decreased. We additionally found a decrease in average cerebral arterial flow (p = 0.040). Finally, a significant increase in cerebral venous cross-sectional area under HDT (p = 0.005) was also observed. Conclusions These results collectively demonstrate that acute application of −15° HDT caused a reduction in CSF flow variables (systolic peak flow and peak-to-peak pulse amplitude) which, when coupled with a decrease in average cerebral arterial flow, systolic peak flow, and peak-to-peak pulse amplitude, is consistent with a decrease in cardiac-related pulsatile CSF flow. These results suggest that decreases in cerebral arterial inflow were the principal drivers of decreases in CSF pulsatile flow.

Mehmet Burak Gülcan,1 Hüseyin Demirtaş,2 Abdullah Özer,2 Zeynep Yığman,3,4 Ali Dogan Dursun,5 Mustafa Arslan,6– 8 Gürsel Levent Oktar2 1Erzurum City Hospital, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Erzurum, Turkey; 2Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Ankara, Turkey; 3Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Ankara, Turkey; 4Gazi University Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Center of Excellence NÖROM, Ankara, Turkey; 5Atılım University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Ankara, Turkey; 6Gazi University Faculty of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Ankara, Turkey; 7Gazi University, Life Sciences Application and Research Center, Ankara, Turkey; 8Gazi University, Laboratory Animal Breeding and Experimental Research Center (GUDAM), Ankara, TurkeyCorrespondence: Mustafa Arslan, Department of Anesthesiology and ReanimationGazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, 06510, Türkiye, Tel +90 533 422 85 77, Email mustarslan@gmail.comObjective: This study aimed to demonstrate whether ozone has cardioprotective effects on the myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in rats with streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetes.Methods: A total of 38 male Wistar Albino rats were divided into five groups as follows: control group (group C,n=6), diabetic group (group D,n=6), diabetic ozone group (group DO,n=6), diabetic-ischemia/reperfusion (group DIR,n=6), diabetic-ischemia/reperfusion-ozone (group DIRO,n=6). Six rats died during this period and two died because of surgical complications. A myocardial ischemia-reperfusion model was created using a thoracotomy incision from 4th intercostal space. The LAD was ligated using an 8– 0 prolene suture for 30min. Ozone was administered intraperitoneally(1mg/kg) 5min before reperfusion. The reperfusion time was 120 min. At the end of the reperfusion procedure, myocardial tissue histopathological examinations, and serum biochemical analyses were performed.Results: The percentage of TUNEL(+) cardiomyocytes/HPF was significantly higher in the DIR group than in the C, D, and DO groups. Conversely, TUNEL positivity was significantly lower in the DIRO group than in the DIR group. The IRI score was significantly higher in the DIR and DIRO groups than that in the C, D, and DO groups. In contrast, the IRI damage score in the DIRO group was significantly lower than that in the DIR group. Serum MDA levels were significantly higher in the DIR group than in the C, D, and DO groups. Similarly, MDA levels were significantly higher in the DIRO group than in the C and D groups. CAT activity was significantly higher in the DIR group than in the C and D groups. SOD activity was significantly higher in the DIR group than in the C and DO groups.Conclusion: Our study showed that ozone exerts cardioprotective effects in STZ-induced diabetic rats through its antioxidant role against oxidative stress. Both biochemical and histological analyses clearly revealed that ozone has beneficial effects against IRI in the diabetic rat myocardium.Keywords: diabetes mellitus, ozone, myocard, SOD, MDA, ischemia-reperfusion

Hasan Bostancı,1 Selin Erel,2 Ayşegül Küçük,3 Gülay Kip,2 Şaban Cem Sezen,4 Seda Gokgoz,5 Muharrem Atlı,4 Feyza Aktepe,2 Kursat Dikmen,1 Mustafa Arslan,2,6,7 Mustafa Kavutçu5 1Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of General Surgery, Ankara, Turkey; 2Gazi University Faculty of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Ankara, Turkey; 3Kutahya Health Sciences University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Kutahya, Turkey; 4Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Kırıkkale, Turkey; 5Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ankara, Turkey; 6Gazi University, Life Sciences Application and Research Center, Ankara, Turkey; 7Gazi University, Laboratory Animal Breeding and Experimental Research Center (GUDAM), Ankara, TurkeyCorrespondence: Ayşegül Küçük, Kutahya Health Sciences University, Medical Faculty, Department of Physiology, Kutahya, Turkey, Tel +90 532 675 77 05, Email aysegul.kucuk@gmail.comObjective: Pancreatic surgeries inherently cause ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury, affecting not only the pancreas but also distant organs. This study was conducted to explore the potential use of dexmedetomidine, a sedative with antiapoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, in mitigating the impacts of pancreatic IR on kidney and liver tissues.Methods: A total of 24 rats were randomly divided into four groups: control (C), dexmedetomidine (D), ischemia reperfusion (IR), and dexmedetomidine ischemia reperfusion (D-IR). Pancreatic ischemia was induced in the IR and D-IR groups. Dexmedetomidine was administered intraperitoneally to the D and D-IR groups. Liver and kidney tissue samples were subjected to microscopic examinations after hematoxylin and eosin staining. The levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), aryllesterase (AES), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzyme activity were assessed in liver and kidney tissues. The serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine were measured.Results: A comparison of the groups revealed that the IR group exhibited significantly elevated TBARS (p

Necmiye Şengel,1 Ayşegül Küçük,2 Çağrı Özdemir,3 Şaban Cem Sezen,4 Gülay Kip,5 Fatma Er,6 Ali Doğan Dursun,7 Yücel Polat,8 Mustafa Kavutçu,6 Mustafa Arslan5,9,10 1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, (As a Specialist in Anesthesiology and Reanimation), Gazi University Faculty of Dentistry, Ankara, Turkey; 2Department of Physiology, Kutahya Health Sciences University Faculty of Medicine, Kutahya, Turkey; 3Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Mamak State Hospital, Ankara, Turkey; 4Department of Histology and Embryology, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey; 5Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey; 6Department of Medical Biochemistry, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey; 7Department of Physiology, Atılım University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey; 8Cardiovascular Surgery, Tekirdağ Dr. Ismail Fehmi Cumalıoğlu City Hospital, Tekirdağ, Turkey; 9Life Sciences Application and Research Center, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey; 10Laboratory Animal Breeding and Experimental Researches Center (GÜDAM), Gazi University, Ankara, TurkeyCorrespondence: Mustafa Arslan, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, 06510, Turkey, Tel +90 533 422 85 77, Email mustarslan@gmail.comObjective: This study aimed to demonstrate whether fullerenol C60, sevoflurane anesthesia, or a combination of both had protective effects on the liver and kidneys in lower extremity ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in mice with streptozocin-induced diabetes.Methods: A total of 46 Swiss albino mice were divided into six groups as follows: control group (group C, n=7), diabetes group (group D, n=7), diabetes-ischemia/reperfusion (group DIR, n=8), diabetes-ischemia/reperfusion-fullerenol C60 (group DIR-FC60, n=8), diabetes-ischemia/reperfusion-sevoflurane (group DIR-S, n=8), and the diabetes-ischemia/reperfusion-fullerenol C60-sevoflurane (group DIR-S-FC60, n=8). Fullerenol C60 (100mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally 30 min before the ischemia-reperfusion procedure to the fullerenol groups (DIR-FC60 and DIR-S-FC60). In the DIR groups, 2 hours (h) ischemia-2h reperfusion periods were performed. In the sevoflurane groups, sevoflurane was applied during the ischemia-reperfusion period with 100% O2. Liver and kidney tissues were removed at the end of the reperfusion procedure for biochemical and histopathological examinations.Results: In liver tissue, hydropic degeneration, sinusoidal dilatation, pycnotic nuclei, prenecrotic cells, and mononuclear cell infiltration in parenchyma were significantly more frequent in group DIR than in groups D and group C. In terms of the histopathologic criteria examined, more positive results were seen in group DIR-FC60, and when group DIR-FC60 was compared with group DIR, the difference was significant. The best results in AST, ALT, glucose, TBARS levels, and SOD enzyme activities in liver tissue were in group DIR-FC60 compared with group DIR, followed by groups DIR-S-FC60 and DIR-S, respectively. Regarding TBARS levels and SOD enzyme activities in kidney tissue, the best results were in groups DIR-FC60, DIR-S-FC60, and DIR-S, respectively.Conclusion: According to our findings, it is clear that fullerenol C60 administered intraperitoneally 30 min before ischemia, alone or together with sevoflurane, reduces oxidative stress in distant organ damage caused by lower extremity IRI, and reduces liver and kidney tissue damage in histopathologic examinations.Keywords: lower extremity, ischemia-reperfusion, diabetes, fullerenol C60, sevoflurane, kidney, liver, mice

Ça&gbreve;r&inodot; Özdemir,1 Mustafa Arslan,2– 4 Ay&scedil;egül Küçük,5 Zeynep Y&inodot;&gbreve;man,6,7 Ali Do&gbreve;an Dursun8 1Mamak State Hospital Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Ankara, Turkey; 2Gazi University Faculty of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Ankara, Turkey; 3Gazi University, Life Sciences Application and Research Center, Ankara, Turkey; 4Gazi University, Laboratory Animal Breeding and Experimental Research Center (GÜDAM), Ankara, Turkey; 5Kutahya Health Sciences University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Kutahya, Turkey; 6Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Ankara, Turkey; 7Gazi University Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Center of Excellence (NÖROM), Ankara, Turkey; 8At&inodot;l&inodot;m University Faculty of Medicine Department of Physiology, Ankara, TurkeyCorrespondence: Mustafa Arslan, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Ankara, 06510, Türkiye, Email mustarslan@gmail.comIntroduction: Oxidative stress has an important role in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common type of dementia. Boric acid (BA) contributes significantly to the protection of the brain by reducing lipid peroxidation and supporting antioxidant defense. We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of BA treatment in AD rats.Materials and Methods: Four groups were formed as Control (C), Alzheimer’s (A), Alzheimer’s + Boric acid (ABA), Boric acid (BA). Intracerebroventricular injection of Streptozotocin (STZ) was preferred to create an AD. After 4 weeks, BA was applied 3 times every other day. The Radial Arm Maze Test (RAMT) was used to evaluate memory and learning abilities. Biochemical and histopathological evaluations were made in the hippocampus.Results: Initial RAMT inlet/outlet (I/O) numbers were similar. Two weeks after STZ injection, I/O numbers decreased in group A and ABA compared to group C and BA (p< 0.05). After the second BA application, I/O numbers increased in the ABA group compared to the A group (p< 0.05). In group A, PON-1, TOS and OSI levels were higher and TAS levels were lower than in groups BA and C. After BA treatment, PON-1 and OSI levels were lower in the ABA group than in the A group (p< 0.05). Although there was an increase in TAS value and a decrease in TOS, this did not make a statistical difference. The thickness of the pyramidal cell in CA1 and the granular cell layers in the dentate gyrus, and the number of intact and degenerated neurons in the pyramidal cell layer were similar between the groups.Discussion: Significant improvement in learning and memory abilities after BA application is promising for AD.Conclusion: These results show that BA application positively affects learning and memory abilities, and reduces oxidative stress. More extensive studies are required to evaluate histopathological efficacy.Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, boric acid, cognitive function, oxidative stress

Necmiye &Scedil;engel,1 Zeynep Köksal,2 Ali Do&gbreve;an Dursun,3 Ömer Kurtipek,2 &Scedil;aban Cem Sezen,4 Mustafa Arslan,2 Mustafa Kavutçu5 1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Gazi University Faculty of Dentistry, Ankara, Turkey; 2Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey; 3Department of Physiology, At&inodot;l&inodot;m University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey; 4Department of Histology and Embryology, K&inodot;r&inodot;kkale University Faculty of Medicine, K&inodot;r&inodot;kkale, Turkey; 5Department of Medical Biochemistry, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, TurkeyCorrespondence: Mustafa Arslan, Gazi University, Medical Faculty, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Ankara, 06510, Turkey, Tel +90 533 422 85 77, Email mustarslan@gmail.comBackground: Ischaemia–reperfusion (IR) injury, which can be encountered during surgical procedures involving the abdominal aorta, is a complex process that affects distant organs, such as the heart, liver, kidney, and lungs, as well as the lower extremities. In this study, we aimed to contribute to the limited literature by investigating the protective effect of dexmedetomidine, which was administered through different routes, on kidney tissue in rats with spinal cord IR injury.Methods: A total of 30 rats were randomly divided into five groups: control (C group), IR (IR group), IR-intraperitoneal dexmedetomidine (IRIPD group), IR-intrathecal dexmedetomidine (IRITD group), and IR-intravenous dexmedetomidine (IRIVD group). The spinal cord IR model was established. Dexmedetomidine was administered at doses of 100 μg/kg intraperitoneally, 3 μg/kg intrathecally, and 9 μg/kg intravenously. Histopathologic parameters in kidney tissue samples taken at the end of the reperfusion period and biochemical parameters in serum were evaluated.Results: When examined histopathologically, tubular dilatation was found to be significantly reduced in the IRIVD, IRITD, and IRIPD groups compared with the IR group (p = 0.012, all). Vascular vacuolization and hypertrophy were significantly decreased in the IRIVD, IRITD, and IRIPD groups compared with the IR group (p = 0.006, all). Tubular cell degeneration and necrosis were significantly reduced in the IRIVD, IRITD, and IRIPD groups compared with the IR group (p = 0.008, p = 0.08, and p = 0.030, respectively). Lymphocyte infiltration was significantly decreased in the IRIVD and IRITD groups compared with the IR group (p = 0.006 and p = 0.06, respectively).Conclusion: It was observed that dexmedetomidine administered by different routes improved the damage caused by IR in kidney histopathology. We think that the renoprotective effects of dexmedetomidine administered intravenously and intrathecally before IR in rats are greater.Keywords: dexmedetomidine, ischaemia–reperfusion, intrathecal, intravenous, rat

Teaching Turkish effectively and successfully is one of the main functions of all the teaching phases of Turkish education system. In secondary education, this duty mostly depends on Turkish Language and Literature teachers. The aim of the research named "Socialization of Turkish Language and Literature teachers" is to evaluate the process of vocational and organizational socialization of Turkish Language and Literature teachers according to teachers and the school managers' view. This study includes 85 Turkish Language and Literature teachers and 62 school managers' view who work in Erzincan city centre in 2013-2014 school year. In this study "The Scale of Turkish Language and Literature teachers' socialization variables", of which reliability and validity were analyzed, was used. According to findings both Turkish Language and Literature teachers and the school managers perceive "the process of in-services training" very inadequately within the context of practices that includes vocational socialization. Generally, school managers accept Turkish Language and Literature teachers' "organizational socialization" less inadequate than teachers do. Turkish Language and Literature teachers and school managers think that social status of the teachers in Turkey "none". The results show that Turkish Language and Literature teachers' socialization practices cannot contribute to teachers' vocational adaptation and dedication. In parallel with the results, it is suggested that in the context of vocational development and socialization of teachers in Turkey, specifically Turkish Language and Literature teachers, national norms which are compatible with international standards should be developed.

Seyfi Kartal,1 Gülay Kip,2 Ayşegül Küçük,3 Seyhan Sümeyra Aşçı,1 Özlem Erdem,4 Mustafa Arslan,2 Mustafa Kavutçu5 1Health Science University, Kanuni Training and Research Hospital, Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Trabzon, Turkey; 2Gazi University, School of Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Ankara, Turkey; 3Kütahya Health Science University, School of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Kütahya, Turkey; 4Gazi University, School of Medicine, Department of Medical Pathology, Ankara, Turkey; 5Gazi University, School of Medicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ankara, TurkeyCorrespondence: Mustafa ArslanGazi University, School of Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Ankara 06510, TurkeyTel +90 312 202 53 13Fax +90 312 202 4166Email mustarslan@gmail.comBackground: The objective of this research was to evaluate the oxidative and histopathological effects of dexmedetomidine and ketamine on the pulmonary contusion model resulting from blunt chest trauma.Methods: Rats were randomly assigned to 5 equal groups (n=6): control group (Group C), pulmonary contusion group (Group PC), PC-dexmedetomidine group (Group PC-D), PC-ketamine group (Group PC-K), and PC-dexmedetomidine + ketamine (Group PC-D+K). The PC was performed by dropping a weight of 500 g (2.45 Joules) from a height of 50 cm. In Group PC-D, after chest trauma, dexmedetomidine (100 μg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally. In Group PC-K, after chest trauma, ketamine (100 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally. In Group PC-D+K, dexmedetomidine and ketamine were administered together. At the end of the 6th hour, rats were sacrificed. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activities, neutrophil infiltration/aggregation, and thickness of the alveolar wall were evaluated.Results: MDA levels were significantly higher in Group PC than Groups C, PC-D, and PC-D+K. SOD enzyme activity was significantly higher in Group PC than Groups C, PC-D, and PC-D+K. In addition, neutrophil infiltration/aggregation and total pulmonary injury scores were significantly higher in Group PC than in other groups, and the thickness of the alveolar wall was significantly higher in Group PC compared to Groups C, PC-D, and PC-D+K. MDA level, SOD enzyme activities, neutrophil infiltration/aggregation, and thickness of alveolar wall were similar in PC-D and PC-D+K groups.Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine and dexmedetomidine+ketamine have protective effects on blunt chest trauma but no protective effect was observed when ketamine was administered alone. We concluded that the administration of dexmedetomidine and ketamine after contusion is beneficial against pulmonary injury in rats.Keywords: dexmedetomidine, ketamine, pulmonary contusion, oxidative injury, neutrophil infiltration/aggregation

OBJECTIVE: Mortality and morbidity rates are very high in patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after cardiac arrest. In this study, we aimed to determine the mortality rates, risk factors, and predictive factors for mortality in post-cardiac arrest patients admitted to the ICU. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Following approval from the Ethics Committee, we conducted a retrospective review of patient files for individuals over the age of 18 who received treatment for cardiac arrest in the ICU from January 2017 to June 2020. Demographic data of the patients, comorbidities, arrest location, etiology of arrest, duration of hospitalization, CPR duration, APACHE 2 scores, pH and HCO3 measurements in initial blood gases, lactate levels (1st, 6th, 12th, 24th hour), change in lactate levels (24-1), rate of lactate change, procalcitonin (PRC) levels (1st and 24th hour), change in PRC levels (24-1), rate of PRC change, and blood glucose levels were recorded. The patients were divided into two groups (survivors and non-survivors groups). RESULTS: 151 patients were included in the study. pH and HCO3 levels were lower in the non-survivors group than in the survivors group. Initial PRC levels were similar in both groups, but the 24th-hour PRC levels were higher, and the changes in PRC levels in the first 24 hours were greater in the non-survivors group. The lactate changes in the first 24 hours were higher in the non-survivors group. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the HCO3 levels, 1st-, 6th-, 12th-, and 24th-hour lactate levels, and changes in lactate levels had predictability for mortality. In logistic regression analysis, we found that high 24th-hour lactate levels and changes in lactate levels were independent risk factors for mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Considering PRC and lactate levels, along with clinical examination and laboratory findings, may improve the accuracy of determining the prognosis of patients experiencing cardiac arrest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to determine the precautions that can be taken to increase the reliability of the vestibular evoked myogenic potentials test without being affected by the asymmetry of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the issues that should be considered in the interpretation of vestibular evoked myogenic potential results if these precautions are not taken. Method: Individuals with sternocleidomastoid muscle activity of less than 30 μV in cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential testing and an asymmetry ratio of more than 0.35 were excluded. In our study, individuals were divided into different groups according to sternocleidomastoid muscle asymetry. Results: A total of 53 individuals were included in the study. Intergroup comparisons were made to determine the effect of electromyogram scaling and filter use on amplitude asymmetry ratio according to sternocleidomastoid muscle asymmetry. Conclusion: Keeping the sternocleidomastoid muscle asymmetry not exceeding 10 μV maximises the reliability of cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials. As a result of our study, it can be concluded that in clinical applications the asymmetry should not exceed 20 μV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Işın Güneş,1 Nuran Süngü,2 Aydan Kılıçarslan,2 Volkan Şıvgın,3 Metin Alkan,3 Ayşegül Küçük,4 Hakan Boyunağa,5 Yusuf Ünal,3 Mustafa Arslan3 1Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Erciyes University Medical Faculty, Kayseri, Turkey; 2Department of Pathology, Yıldırım Beyazıt University Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey; 3Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Gazi University Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey; 4Department of Physiology, Dumlupinar University Medical Faculty, Kütahya, Turkey; 5Department of Biochemistry, Kirikkale University Medical Faculty, Kirikkale, Turkey Objective: This study was conducted since the effects of colloid solutions on the renal system remain controversial and need to be adequately studied in animals. We aimed to evaluate the effects of hydroxyethyl starch (Voluven) on the kidney tissue of rats with late renal failure due to ureteral obstruction. Materials and methods: Rats were divided into four groups: Group C, control; Group HES, hydroxyethyl starch solution (HES) 130/0.4 (Voluven®); Group UUO, unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO); and Group UUO-HES, UUO-HES 130/0.4 (Voluven®). In the groups with ureteral obstruction, the distal part of the right ureter was accessed and sutured through a lower abdominal incision under ketamine anesthesia. Any signs of late-stage renal failure were evaluated after three weeks. Rats in the HES group and the renal failure-HES group were administered with HES 130/0.4 as a single intravenous dose of 20 mL/kg. After a follow-up of 24 hours, intra-abdominal blood sample was collected, and the rats were sacrificed. Biochemical and histopathological parameters were then evaluated. Results: Ureteral obstruction significantly increased urea and creatinine levels. In addition, when the UUO-HES and HES groups were compared, the administration of HES increased urea and creatinine levels in the UUO-HES group. Nitric oxide enzyme activity and malondialdehyde levels have significantly increased in the UUO groups. In addition, HES significantly increased nitric oxide activity and malondialdehyde levels in the UUO-HES group, in comparison with the HES group. The activity of caspases 3 and 8 was significantly increased in the UUO groups. In addition, HES significantly increased the activity of caspases 3 and 8 in the UUO-HES group, in comparison with the HES group. Light microscopy revealed significant changes in the UUO groups, especially in the obstructed kidneys. Conclusion: If indicated, HES should be used with caution in cases of UUO, but not in the cases of bilateral ureteral obstruction. Other aspects of these findings, including the clinical significance and practical applications, merit further experimental and clinical investigation. Keywords: unilateral ureteral obstruction, hydroxyethyl starch solution 130/0.4, caspase 3, caspase 8, malondialdehyde, nitric oxide

In this paper, we propose to use Gaussian mixture model (GMM) supervectors in a feed-forward deep neural network (DNN) for age identification from voice. The GMM is trained with short-term mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC). The proposed GMM/DNN method is compared with a feed-forward DNN and a recurrent neural network (RNN) in which the MFCC features are directly used. We also make a comparison with the classical GMM and GMM/support vector machine (SVM) methods. Baseline results are obtained with a set of long-term features which are commonly used for age identification in previous studies. A feed-forward DNN and an SVM are trained using the long term features. All the systems are tested using a speech database which consists of 228 female and 156 male speakers. We define three age classes for each gender; young, adult and senior. In the experiments, the proposed GMM/DNN significantly outperforms all the other DNN types. Its performance is only comparable to the GMM/SVM method. On the other hand, experimental results show that age identification performance is significantly improved when the decisions of the short-term and long-term systems are combined together. We obtain approximately 4% absolute improvement with the combination compared to the best standalone system.

Şaban Cem Sezen,1 Aysegul Kucuk,2 Abdullah Özer,3 Yiğit Kılıç,4 Barış Mardin,3 Metin Alkan,5 Fatmanur Duruk Erkent,5 Mustafa Arslan,5 Yusuf Ünal,5 Gürsel Levent Oktar,3 Murat Tosun6 1Department of Histology and Embryology, Kirikkale University Medical Faculty, Kirikkale, Turkey; 2Department of Physiology, Dumlupinar University Medical Faculty, Kutahya, Turkey; 3Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Gazi University Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey; 4Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery Clinic, Dr Siyami Ersek Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; 5Department of Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Gazi University Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey; 6Department of Histology and Embryology, Afyon Kocatepe University Medical Faculty, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of levosimendan and thymoquinone (TQ) on lung injury after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Materials and methods: Twenty-four Wistar albino rats were included in the study. The animals were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 experimental groups. In Group C (control group), left anterior descending artery was not occluded or reperfused. Myocardial I/R was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending artery for 30 min, followed by 2 h of reperfusion in the I/R, I/R-levosimendan (24 μg/kg) (IRL) group, and I/R-thymoquinone (0.2 mL/kg) (IRTQ) group. Tissue samples taken from the lungs of rats were histochemically stained with H&E and immunohistochemically stained with p53, Bcl 2, Bax, and caspase 3 primer antibodies. Results: Increased expression of p53 and Bax was observed (4+), especially in the I/R group. In IRTQ and IRL groups, expression was also observed at various locations (2+, 3+). H&E staining revealed that that the lungs were severely damaged and the walls of the alveoli were too thick, the number of areas examined was increased during the evaluation. Caspase 3 expression was observed to be at an (1+, 2+) intensity that was usually weak and diffuse in multiple areas. Bcl 2 was not found to be expressed in any of the tissues. H&E staining revealed that that the lungs were severely damaged in the I/R group, with the walls of the channels and alveoli thickened and edematous, and also an intense inflammatory cell migration was observed. Immunohistochemical staining was more prominent in inflammatory areas and structures around the terminal bronchioles. Conclusion: The findings in our study have shown that administration of levosimendan and TQ during I/R increases expression of caspase 3, p53, and Bax in lung tissue and has a protective effect on lung as distant organ. We suggest that findings of this study be elucidated with further large-scale clinical studies. Keywords: ischemia reperfusion, levosimendan, thymoquinone, lung, caspase 3, p53

Understanding of the laser-induced ultrafast demagnetization dynamics is one of the most challenging and hot topics in magnetism research due to its potential applications in magnetic storage devices and the field of spintronics. Recently, a laser-induced switching of ferromagnetism, driven by a disorder–order transition on FeAl thin films, has been experimentally demonstrated. The switching of ferromagnetic ordering by ultrafast laser pulses in FeAl thin films may open new possible applications of this material such as magnetic data storage and manipulation. Since the speed of the magnetic switching of magnetic states in thin films is one of the critical parameters for these applications, here we used time resolved magneto-optical Kerr measurements to investigate the demagnetization dynamics of Fe 60 Al 40 thin films at room temperature. We have for the first time observed a clear transition from one-step dynamics (type I) to two-step (type II) dynamics in the same material by increasing pump laser fluence. This experimental observation may give a strong confirmation that the ultrafast demagnetization process can be treated as a thermal process and is driven by the difference between temperatures of the electron and spin systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]