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The aim of this study was to compare the antimicrobial efficacy of calcium hypochlorite (Ca(OCl)The root canals of 105 single-rooted premolars were enlarged up to file 40, autoclaved, inoculated with E. faecalis, and incubated for 21 days. The teeth were randomly divided into seven experimental (n = 15) groups according to the protocol for decontamination: syringe irrigation (SI) with distilled water (DW), SI with 2.5% NaOCl, SI with 2.5% Ca (OCl)Mean numbers of recovered bacteria in the SI with DW group were significantly higher than those in the other experimental groups (P0.05). The high bactericidal reduction was observed in any of the other treatment groups: SI using NaOCl or Ca (OCl)Er,Cr: YSGG laser with or without an irrirgation solution has antimicrobial effects on dentinal tubules infected with E. faecalis. The antimicrobial property of 2.5% Ca (OCl)

EgeUn###, Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of childhood psychopathologies in Turkey. Method: A nation-wide, randomly selected, representative population of 5830 children (6-13 years-old) enrolled as a 2nd,3rd or 4th grade student in 30 cities were evaluated for presence of a psychiatric or mental disorder by a Sociodemographic Form, Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL), and DSM-IV-Based Screening Scale for Disruptive Behavior Disorders in Children and Adolescents scales. Impairment criterion was assessed via a 3 point-Likert scale by the parent and the teacher independently. Results: Overall prevalence of any psychopathology was 37.6% without impairment criterion, and 17.1% with impairment criterion. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder was the most frequent diagnosis, followed by anxiety (19.5% and 16.7% without impairment, 12.4% and 5.3% with impairment, respectively). Lower education level and presence of a physical or psychiatric problem of the parents were independent predictors of any psychopathology of the offspring. Conclusion: This is the largest and most comprehensive epidemiological study to determine the prevalence of psychopathologies in children and adolescents in Turkey. Our results partly higher than, and partly comparable to previous national and international studies. It also contributes to the literature by determining the independent predictors of psychopathologies in this age group.

Background: Pembrolizumab is active in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), with programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression associated with improved response. Methods: KEYNOTE-048 was a randomised, phase 3 study of participants with untreated locally incurable recurrent or metastatic HNSCC done at 200 sites in 37 countries. Participants were stratified by PD-L1 expression, p16 status, and performance status and randomly allocated (1:1:1) to pembrolizumab alone, pembrolizumab plus a platinum and 5-fluorouracil (pembrolizumab with chemotherapy), or cetuximab plus a platinum and 5-fluorouracil (cetuximab with chemotherapy). Investigators and participants were aware of treatment assignment. Investigators, participants, and representatives of the sponsor were masked to the PD-L1 combined positive score (CPS) results; PD-L1 positivity was not required for study entry. The primary endpoints were overall survival (time from randomisation to death from any cause) and progression-free survival (time from randomisation to radiographically confirmed disease progression or death from any cause, whichever came first) in the intention-to-treat population (all participants randomly allocated to a treatment group). There were 14 primary hypotheses: superiority of pembrolizumab alone and of pembrolizumab with chemotherapy versus cetuximab with chemotherapy for overall survival and progression-free survival in the PD-L1 CPS of 20 or more, CPS of 1 or more, and total populations and non-inferiority (non-inferiority margin: 1·2) of pembrolizumab alone and pembrolizumab with chemotherapy versus cetuximab with chemotherapy for overall survival in the total population. The definitive findings for each hypothesis were obtained when statistical testing was completed for that hypothesis; this occurred at the second interim analysis for 11 hypotheses and at final analysis for three hypotheses. Safety was assessed in the as-treated population (all participants who received at least one dose of allocated treatment). This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02358031. Findings: Between April 20, 2015, and Jan 17, 2017, 882 participants were allocated to receive pembrolizumab alone (n=301), pembrolizumab with chemotherapy (n=281), or cetuximab with chemotherapy (n=300); of these, 754 (85%) had CPS of 1 or more and 381 (43%) had CPS of 20 or more. At the second interim analysis, pembrolizumab alone improved overall survival versus cetuximab with chemotherapy in the CPS of 20 or more population (median 14·9 months vs 10·7 months, hazard ratio [HR] 0·61 [95% CI 0·45–0·83], p=0·0007) and CPS of 1 or more population (12·3 vs 10·3, 0·78 [0·64–0·96], p=0·0086) and was non-inferior in the total population (11·6 vs 10·7, 0·85 [0·71–1·03]). Pembrolizumab with chemotherapy improved overall survival versus cetuximab with chemotherapy in the total population (13·0 months vs 10·7 months, HR 0·77 [95% CI 0·63–0·93], p=0·0034) at the second interim analysis and in the CPS of 20 or more population (14·7 vs 11·0, 0·60 [0·45–0·82], p=0·0004) and CPS of 1 or more population (13·6 vs 10·4, 0·65 [0·53–0·80], p

52nd Conference of the European-Society-of-Human-Genetics (ESHG) -- JUN 15-18, 2019 -- Gothenburg, SWEDEN, Avci, Cigir Biray/0000-0001-8251-4520, WOS: 000489313906033, [No abstract available], European Soc Human Genet

The negative impact of atrial fibrillation (AF) on health-related quality of life has been extensively documented. The aim of this study was to compare the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores of patients with non-valvular AF during warfarin administration and after switching to novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs). The study comprised 100 consecutive patients on warfarin treatment between July 2018 and January 2019 for whom a transition to NOACs was planned. All patients completed the HADS at the start of the study and at least 3 months after that date. The mean value of HADS-A (5.9 ± 2.1 vs. 4.4 ± 1.6, p

Annual European Congress of Rheumatology -- JUN 14-17, 2017 -- Madrid, SPAIN, WOS: 000413181401012, …

Micro arc oxidation (MAO) of aluminum alloy samples was studied using bipolar pulses with various pulse durations under constant duty cycle. The processing times were chosen as 20, 30 and 40 minutes. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique, scanning electron microscope (SEM), surface roughness measurement (Ra) and indentation tests were employed to investigate the phase distribution, microstructure, surface properties and hardness of the coatings, respectively. By increasing the pulse duration and processing time, coatings with different surface roughness, thickness and hardness were fabricated.

Mushroom intoxication (MT) can lead to acute liver injury which may result in Mushroom intoxication-related liver failure (M-ALF) requiring liver transplantation (LT). In the present study, we want to share the experience of our institute regarding living-donor LT (LDLT) due to mushroom poisoning.The aim of this study is to identify the predictors of poor prognosis in patients with ALF secondary to mushroom intoxication requiring LDLT.All patients with MT between 2008 and 2016 were evaluated. Demographics, symptoms, interval between symptoms and admission to our institute, laboratory data, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD)/pediatric end-stage liver disease (PELD) scores, clinical course, and outcomes of supportive therapy and LT were evaluated. There were two groups in the study: Group A = responsive to supportive therapy (n = 9) versus Group B = unresponsive to supportive therapy (n = 9).During the study, a total of 18 patients were admitted with M-ALF. Twelve (66.7%) of them were female, and the mean age was 39.9 ± 18.2 years. All of the nine patients in Group A fully recovered with supportive therapy. In Group B, one patient died during waiting period for LT and 8 patients received LDLT LDLT. Three of the eight patients who were transplanted died in the postoperative early period within postoperative 5 days. The patients in Group B had significantly higher MELD/PELD scores and encephalopathy rate than in Group A (P0.05). International normalized ratio (INR), bilirubin, ammonium levels, and platelet count were significantly different between groups (P0.05). The patients in Group B had significantly longer interval before admission to our institute (P0.05).The presence of encephalopathy, higher MELD/PELD, INR, bilirubin, ammonium levels, and lower platelet count was related to poor prognosis in MT. LDLT provides a good therapeutic option in patients with M-ALF. The time is a crucial factor in successful treatment of MT. Early admission to a tertiary referral center with expertise in LT results in a better prognosis and increased survival following M-ALF.

9 p., Background: Stroke disproportionately affects people in low-income and middle-income countries. Although improvements in stroke care and outcomes have been reported in high-income countries, little is known about practice and outcomes in low and middle-income countries. We aimed to compare patterns of care available and their association with patient outcomes across countries at different economic levels. Methods: We studied the patterns and effect of practice variations (ie, treatments used and access to services) among participants in the INTERSTROKE study, an international observational study that enrolled 13 447 stroke patients from 142 clinical sites in 32 countries between Jan 11, 2007, and Aug 8, 2015. We supplemented patient data with a questionnaire about health-care and stroke service facilities at all participating hospitals. Using univariate and multivariate regression analyses to account for patient casemix and service clustering, we estimated the association between services available, treatments given, and patient outcomes (death or dependency) at 1 month. Findings: We obtained full information for 12 342 (92%) of 13 447 INTERSTROKE patients, from 108 hospitals in 28 countries; 2576 from 38 hospitals in ten high-income countries and 9766 from 70 hospitals in 18 low and middle-income countries. Patients in low-income and middle-income countries more often had severe strokes, intracerebral haemorrhage, poorer access to services, and used fewer investigations and treatments (p

GOKCEN, CEM/0000-0003-3824-5890; Topal, Zehra/0000-0001-8397-5636; Tural, Umit/0000-0002-1593-2180; Unal, Fatih/0000-0001-8386-9884; Acikel, Burak/0000-0002-8964-9513; Erden, Semih/0000-0002-7723-9584; Kilic, Birim Gunay/0000-0002-4566-2564; Ucar, Halit Necmi/0000-0002-2706-7454; CELIK, GONCA/0000-0001-6101-0796; Gunes, Serkan/0000-0002-8247-2145; Isik, Umit/0000-0001-6006-3247; Coskun, Murat/0000-0002-4808-5870; Tufan, ALI EVREN/0000-0001-5207-6240; Donmez, Yunus Emre/0000-0002-7785-2805; Ceri, Veysi/0000-0001-6152-0227; Uzun, Necati/0000-0003-3381-2331; Hesapcioglu, Selma Tural/0000-0002-4816-0228; Kandemir, Hasan/0000-0002-1138-4973; Gormez, Vahdet/0000-0002-2704-9520 WOS: 000439557000070 PubMed: 29936389 Aim: To determine the prevalence of affective disorders in Turkey among a representative sample of Turkish population. Methods: This study was conducted as a part of the "The Epidemiology of Childhood Psychopathology in Turkey" (EPICPAT-T) Study, which was designed by the Turkish Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. The inclusion criterion was being a student between the second and fourth grades in the schools assigned as study centers. The assessment tools used were the K-SADS-PL, and a sociodemographic form that was designed by the authors. Impairment was assessed via a 3 point-Likert type scale independently rated by a parent and a teacher. Results: A total of 5842 participants were included in the analyses. The prevalence of affective disorders was 2.5 % without considering impairment and 1.6 % when impairment was taken into account. In our sample, the diagnosis of bipolar disorder was lacking, thus depressive disorders constituted all the cases. Among depressive disorders with impairment, major depressive disorder (MDD) (prevalence of 1.06%) was the most common, followed by dysthymia (prevalence of 0.2%), adjustment disorder with depressive features (prevalence of 0.17%), and depressive disorder-NOS (prevalence of 0.14%). There were no statistically significant gender differences for depression. Maternal psychopathology and paternal physical illness were predictors of affective disorders with pervasive impairment. Conclusion: MDD was the most common depressive disorder among Turkish children in this nationwide epidemiological study. This highlights the severe nature of depression and the importance of early interventions. Populations with maternal psychopathology and paternal physical illness may be the most appropriate targets for interventions to prevent and treat depression in children and adolescents.

For healthy cities, climatic and ecological data important for thermal comfort should be considered. Especially in cities with cold winters, such data are important in terms of directed streets and building facades. The objective of this study was to assess thermal comfort for different street orientations in Dadaskent, Erzurum. The measurements were taken on 10th, 20th and 30th days of each month during a 3-month period from November 2016 through January 2017. The thermal comfort measurements were taken in four different directions; North to South - Camlica Villages Street (1), East to West - Camlica Village Street (2), North-West to South-East - Milli Egemenlik Street (3) and North-East to South-West - Emir-Seyh Street (4). Integrated average values of 4 locations on each Street and 3 measurements on each location were evaluated using area-averaged sky view factor (SVFa) and RayMan model for thermal comfort. The measurements indicated that while the average temperature and relative humidity changed between - 1.5 and 0 degrees C and 26-30% in the NE-SW oriented street, they were -1.9 and -0.2 degrees C and 28-32% in the NW-SE oriented street, -3.0 and -1.0 degrees C and 30-34% in the E-W oriented street and -3.3 and -1.6 degrees C and 31-33% in the N-S oriented street, respectively. These values clearly indicated that the most suitable oriented street for the winter thermal comfort was the NE-SW oriented street, but the worst was the N-S oriented street. The results clearly indicated that the thermal comfort was better in the sub-street with lower SVFa values. It was concluded that street orientation, public space layouts, height and shape of the buildings and vegetation strongly affect thermal conditions of the cities and therefore are important parameters for landscape architects and planners for creating healthy urban environments.

Pelvic fractures are usually the result of high-energy trauma, and sexual dysfunction after a pelvic fracture is an often complication. Though organic pathologies can be the reason for sexual disorders, psychological factors following a trauma may also be linked to sexual problems. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of sexual dysfunction after pelvic fractures, and help these patients with their usually undisclosed sexual problems, and offer them support. During a 4-year period, between June 2008 and May 2012, 40 male patients (out of 57) with a mean age of 42.6 years (range 18–65 years) were evaluated retrospectively. Patients having organic pathologies (vascular, neural, and urogenital system pathologies) were excluded from the study. Patients were requested to complete the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX), which is a 5-item self-evaluation scale. According to the results of the questionnaire, patients needing supportive treatment were referred to the psychiatry department. Twenty-two patients (55 %) scored 10 points or less in the ASEX questionnaire (normal). Eighteen patients (45 %) had 11 points or more (can be problematic). Four of these 18 patients had a score of 19 points or more (needing psychiatric evaluation). Patients with a score of ≥19 points, for any one item with a score of 5 or 6 points, or any three or more items with a score of 4 points were considered to have a high probability of sexual dysfunction after psychiatric evaluation. The frequency of sexual dysfunction in pelvic fractured patients was tested, and the need for investigating sexual disorders is stressed. This study attracts attention to sexual dysfunction after pelvic fractures and the necessity of referring these patients to the related clinics, for treatment. Retrospective case series.

Introduction Ectopic thymic tissue can arise as an asymptomatic neck mass, which may be detected on imaging studies. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of ectopic thymic tissue in paediatric FNAs and to the correlate clinical, radiological and cytomorphological findings. Methods FNAs in children with neck and mediastinal lesions performed between January 2012 and July 2016 were reviewed for cases of ectopic thymus. These were then evaluated and correlated with the cytology findings. Results Of 739 FNAs, 13 (1.8%) cases from 11 patients showed ectopic thymic tissue. The targeted lesions were in the thyroid (n = 7), submandibular region (n = 1), superior mediastinum (n = 1) and paratracheal region (n = 1). The most common indication was for microcalcifications concerning for papillary thyroid carcinoma on ultrasound (n = 6). Imaging findings included fusiform lesions with linear and punctuate bright echoes. The cytology evaluation showed small lymphocytes with discohesive epithelioid cells in most cases, and proteinaceous fluid in the cystic case. There were rare macrophages and Hassall's corpuscles. Flow cytometry and/or immunostains were performed in all cases, supporting thymic origin. Conclusion Ectopic thymic tissue is rarely present as a neck mass or thyroid nodule on FNA biopsy. The ultrasound imaging findings reveal a well-defined fusiform lesion with punctate bright echoes that could be misinterpreted as papillary thyroid carcinoma. The aspirates show a small lymphoid population, immunophenotypically compatible with thymic T-cells, in addition to scattered epithelial cells. Therefore, knowledge of the typical ultrasonographic and cytopathological features can help make a definitive diagnosis and avoid more invasive procedures in paediatric patients.

22nd Congress of the European-Hematology-Association -- JUN 22-25, 2017 -- Madrid, SPAIN, WOS: 000404127006027, European Hematol Assoc

Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), a novel biochemical marker, is known to reflect ischemia in early phases of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In the present study, we evaluated the role of IMA on the prediction of coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden and ischemic burden in patients with non-ST-segment-elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTEACS).Ninety-six consecutive NSTEACS patients presented within the first three hours of symptom onset were prospectively enrolled in this study. Blood samples were collected in the first 30 min of admission for IMA measurement. Serum levels of IMA were analyzed using the rapid and colorimetric method and reported in absorbance units (ABSU). Coronary plaque burden was assessed by using angiographic Gensini score (GS). In addition, patients were divided into large (LIBG) and small ischemic burden (SIBG) groups based on angiography findings.Patients were dichotomized into two groups according to median GS as follows; with GS ≤ 44 and GS44, respectively. Mean IMA was significantly higher in GS44 group as compared to GS ≤ 44 group (0.746 ± 0.15 vs. 0.550 ± 0.12 ABSU, p0.001). The GS was positively correlated with the levels of IMA (r = 0.673, p0.001). IMA was significantly higher in LIBG as compared to SIBG (0.745 ± 0.16 vs. 0.570 ± 0.13 ABSU, p0.001).IMA measurement in early phases of NSTEACS may give predictive information about ischemic burden and coronary atherosclerotic plaque burden; thus, may be useful in decision-making about treatment options in these patients.

Aims: Conservative treatment of jaw cysts establishes low surgical complication risk and protects vital anatomical structures such as inferior alveolar nerve, maxillary sinus and permanent tooth germs. Marsupialization and decompression have been widely used in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of the conservative treatment of jaw cysts in five children. Materials and Methods: This article presents case series of marsupialization in jaw cysts associated with impacted teeth in five children. A total of nine impacted teeth within the cystic lesions were observed. Results: Complete resolution of all cystic lesions and simultaneous eruption of six impacted teeth within the cyst were managed. The other two teeth were erupted orthodontically and one had to be extracted. Conclusions: Marsupialization is effective for the treatment of cystic lesions in growing patients as it preserves vital anatomical structures and enables eruption of the impacted teeth within the cyst.Keywords: Children, conservative treatment, cyst treatment, marsupialization

Introduction: Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm is an uncommon cystic tumor of pancreas that can be associated with ductal adenocarcinoma. Coexistence of pancreatic IPMN and neuroendocrine tumor is very rare. Here, we report the imaging features of mixed type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia of the pancreas with high grade dysplasia together with neuroendocrine carcinoma and perform review of the literature. Presentation: A 68-year old patient has been evaluated for possible IPMN that was suspected during ultrasound. MRI revealed main and side branch duct dilatations. At the head, a contrast enhancing nodular lesion was identified. Due to the presence of high risk stigmata according to guidelines, surgery was performed. Histopathological examination revealed an unusual association, including mixed type IPMN and neuroendocrine carcinoma. Discussion: The concomitant occurrence of pancreatic IPMN and neuroendocrine tumor has been reported in case studies and brief reviews. Yet, the imaging findings and underlying molecular mechanisms of this entity has not been fully understood. In addition to this unusual association, pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia was also detected in the present case. Although majority of neuroendocrine tumor associated ipmns were reported to be having low grade dysplasia, our patient had high grade dysplasia. Further studies and reviews with larger groups are needed to establish imaging features and underlying molecular mechanisms of this rare association. Conclusion: Although the major concern during work-up of IPMN is presence of associated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the possibility of neuroendocrine tumor, in the presence of a hypervascular solid foci on imaging studies should be kept in mind., NA

Objective: To investigate some epidemiological aspects of kidney stones in the South-Eastern European area. Materials and methods: From September 2015 to December 2015, 538 consecutive patients were treated and evaluated for reno-ureteral stones in eight departments in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, FYR Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Turkey. Results: The age of onset was lower in Turkey and higher in Italy. The rate of recurrent patients was higher in Romania and Serbia, while first renal stone formers were more frequent in Italy. The previous history of kidney stones, the characteristics of the stones and the dietary habits of the patients were different in different countries. In Bulgaria, Greece and Romania larger calculi from recurrent patients were more frequent. In Italy and Turkey smaller calculi from first renal stone formers were more frequent. Conclusions: The previous history of kidney stones, the characteristics of the stones and the dietary habits of the patients were different in different countries. A common dietary pattern associated with the formation of kidney stones was not observed, but each country showed different risk factors.

Summary Reasons for performing study Dysadhesion of laminar basal epithelial cells (LBECs) from the underlying dermis is the central event leading to structural failure in equine laminitis. Although many studies of sepsis-related laminitis have reported multiple events occurring throughout the lamellar tissue, there is minimal information regarding signalling events occurring specifically in LBECs. Objectives To determine signalling events in the LBECs during the early stages of carbohydrate-induced laminitis. Study design Experimental study. Methods Eight horses were given an overload of carbohydrate (CHO) consisting of corn starch mixture via nasogastric tube. Prior to administration of CHO, lamellar biopsies were taken from the left forefoot (control [CON]). Biopsies were taken from the left hind foot at the onset of fever (developmental [DEV]) and from the right forefoot at the onset of Obel grade 1 lameness (OG1). Laminar basal epithelial cells were isolated from cryosections using a laser capture microdissection (LCM) microscope. Next generation sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to identify transcripts expressed in the LBECs for each time point and bioinformatic analysis was performed with thresholds for between group comparisons set at a greater than 2-fold change and P value ≤0.05. Results Forty genes (22 increased/18 decreased) were significantly different from DEV time vs. CON and 107 genes (57 increased/50 decreased) were significantly different from OG1 time vs. CON. Significant increases in inflammatory genes were present in addition to significantly altered expression of genes related to extracellular matrix composition, stability and turnover. Conclusions Signalling related to inflammatory response and extracellular matrix regulation was strongly represented at the DEV and OG1 times. These results indicate that the LBEC is not only a casualty but also an active participant in lamellar events leading to structural failure of the digital lamellae in equine laminitis.

The aim of study was to evaluate placental protein-13 (PP-13) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) in first trimester maternal serum, for predicting pre-eclampsia. A prospective case-control study included 30 pre-eclampsia patients and 90 control pregnant women. Pre-eclampsia patients were divided into two subgroups: early- and late-onset (9 vs 21), and PP-13 and PAPP-A levels were compared between the groups and the comparison of risks for pre-eclampsia were calculated. Results showed that there was a significant inverse correlation between PAPP-A and late pre-eclampsia (p = 0.003), with a cut-off value of 0.805 (ROC analysis area under curve = 0.751). There was a significant reverse correlation between PAPP-A and early pre-eclampsia (p = 0.02). There was no significant relationship between PP-13 and early pre-eclampsia, nor with late pre-eclampsia (p = 0.7, p = 0.6, respectively). It was concluded that neither of these markers can serve as a sufficient and reliable screening test of pre-eclampsia because of inadequate sensitivity in the Turkish pregnant population.

Despite its century long existence, social distance is still a rare area of investigation in the tourism and hospitality context. In particular, there is a lack of attention on the empirical investigations about the relationship between contact and social distance in host–guest relations in a tourism setting. Hence, the purpose of this study is to determine whether there is such a relationship between social distance and different contact factors (previous visits and close friendships). An on-site survey on tourists and locals at a popular tourist destination, Mugla, in Turkey revealed partial support for these relationships under certain circumstances. Implications and future research suggestions are discussed.

Al Ti intermetallic compounds were coated by electro-spark deposition. Commercially pure titanium (Cp-Ti) (grade 2) and aluminum rods were used as substrate and electrode materials, respectively. During the electro-spark deposition experiments the following pulse parameters in a group were used: pulse current amplitude, pulse duration and pause between the pulses of a pulse group with 100 300 500 A, 50 100 μs, and 100 μs, respectively. Al Ti coatings having a thickness range of 15 30 μm were formed on the surface of titanium substrate using electro-spark deposition process. The coating properties such as the roughness and the thickness increased with increasing pulse duration and pulse current amplitude. The mass transfer coe cient decreased with increasing pulse current amplitude and pulse duration. The quality of the adhesion characters of the coatings, determined by Rockwell-C adhesion test, becomes worse from HF-2 to HF-4, due to increase of pulse current amplitude. Depending on the electro-spark deposition process parameters, the coating formed as AlTi or as layered structure consisting of AlTi+AlTi3 when pulse current amplitude increases. The Al Ti coatings include some micro cracks lying throughout the coating from surface to interface which is nature of this process. The maximum cross-sectional hardness of the coatings were in the range of 80

OBJECTIVE Recent studies revealed that inflammation plays a critical role in bone remodeling and the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis, a major health concern. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a cost-effective marker of inflammation that has been linked with several diseases. This study aimed to compare NLR and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in osteopenic, osteoporotic, and control subjects and to assess the correlation between NLR levels, CRP, and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, the relationship between NLR, CRP, and BMD in 438 women was investigated using uni- and multivariate analyses. BMD (g/cm²) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) at the lumbar spine and femur. Complete blood count (CBC), CRP, glucose/lipid metabolism, and established risk factors were determined. RESULTS In the osteoporotic group, NLR and CRP levels were found to be elevated as compared to the osteopenic and control groups (NLR: 4.68 ± 0.72, 3.17 ± 0.43, 2.01 ± 0.54; CRP: 12.3 ± 4.1, 4.1 ± 2.7, 3.2 ± 2.1, respectively). A negative correlation was present between NLR and the lumbar spine (L2-L4) and femoral neck BMD after adjusting other risk factors. There was no correlation between CRP levels and BMD after adjusting other risk factors. NLR was significantly associated with L2-L4 BMD (s = -0.653, p

SAFAK YILMAZ, Esra/0000-0003-2715-4600 WOS:000463098000003 PubMed ID: 30967916 Background: The unfair distribution and delivery of health-care resources have been recognized as a problem in the worldwide. In the past 18 years, Turkey has undergone rapid social, cultural, and economic changes. The lifestyle and dietary habits of its people have also been changing, and the rates of diabetes, obesity, cancer, and other chronic diseases have increased dramatically over the past two decades. The health transformation program (HTP) has improved the Turkish health-care system since 2003. The main goal of HTP was to progress government, to provide equality between citizens, to give satisfaction to users and providers, and to subsidise the health-care system in Turkey. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess health-care services and health care quality delivery in the Republic of Turkey with special emphasis on governmental hospitals, university hospitals, primary healthcare centers (PHC) and to make comparison with low-, medium- and high-income countries. Methods: This is a retrospective, descriptive study. The ministry of health Annual Reports, websites of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), The World Fact Book, organization for economic cooperation and development report, Compendium of Health Statistics, the Google engine, and PubMed were searched for information about Turkey's health-care system and its history. Papers and websites in English were evaluated. There was no restriction on types of articles and sources. Results: Turkey has made outstanding reforms in health status in the last two decades, especially after the implementation of the HTP. The doctor's perception has more influence regarding consultation length and visit than the patient's. The results of consultations in volunteer practices in Istanbul showed that the mean and SD of the consultation length for the whole sample of 360 patients was 7.95 +/- 4.38, (with range = 3-25 min). Consultation time has been affected by the patients' diseases, genders that women got longer consultation time, medical practices at the urban or rural areas, and ages which older patients required longer consultation time. The current study revealed that increasing doctor's workload leads to decrease the length of consultations. Moreover, average life expectancy reached 75.3 for men and 80.7 for women in 2015. The infant mortality rate decreased to 10.7/1000 live births in 2015, down from 117.5 in 1980. The leading causes of death are diseases of the circulatory system followed by cancer. Conclusions: The Turkish health system and health-care delivery have been improved over the last decade. Still far from perfect, there is a particular planning to increase medical workforce in PHC including well-trained staffs for a specific area. An urgent need is to acquire more accurate and reliable data from hospital and PHC centers in Turkey. Additional some attempts should be made to assess quality of healthcare in relation to services and process. Istanbul Medipol University, Medipol International School of Medicine [10840098-604.01-E.15935] The authors would like to thank the Istanbul Medipol University, Medipol International School of Medicine, for their support and ethical approval (Research Project #10840098-604.01-E.15935).

This report describes an improved protocol to generate stranded, barcoded RNA-seq libraries to capture the whole transcriptome. By optimizing the use of duplex specific nuclease (DSN) to remove ribosomal RNA reads from stranded barcoded libraries, we demonstrate improved efficiency of multiplexed next generation sequencing (NGS). This approach detects expression profiles of all RNA types, including miRNA (microRNA), piRNA (Piwi-interacting RNA), snoRNA (small nucleolar RNA), lincRNA (long non-coding RNA), mtRNA (mitochondrial RNA) and mRNA (messenger RNA) without the use of gel electrophoresis. The improved protocol generates high quality data that can be used to identify differential expression in known and novel coding and non-coding transcripts, splice variants, mitochondrial genes and SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms).

Purpose – Findings of previous research imply that virtual contact with other social groups, such as the internet, may have an impact on sociocultural dimensions such as social distance; however, there is a lack of empirical evidence supporting this implication. To fill this void in the literature, the purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between social distance and the internet as an information source. Design/methodology/approach – A self-administered survey was conducted on tourists from several different European countries, through random sampling, in select popular tourist destinations of Turkey. Findings – A direct relationship between the use of the internet as an information source about the host community and social distance was not revealed within the scope of this study. Originality/value – There is limited research on the relationship between Internet and several sociocultural aspects in tourism. This study investigates the relationship between social distance and internet empirically.

The effects of the hydrostatic pressure and temperature on the electronic and the linear and nonlinear optical properties (i.e., absorption coefficients and refractive indices) are investigated in a spherical quantum dot in the presence of the electric field. The energy levels and wave functions are calculated using the variational method within the effective-mass approximation. The results show that these external factors have a significant effect not only on the binding energy of the donor impurity but also on the optical characteristics of the system. Moreover, it is found that the total absorption coefficient is strongly affected by the existence of impurity, the incident optical intensity, and relaxation time.

We present intercomparison results for formaldehyde (HCHO) slant column measurements performed during the Cabauw Intercomparison campaign of Nitrogen Dioxide measuring Instruments (CINDI) that took place in Cabauw, the Netherlands, in summer 2009. During two months, nine atmospheric research groups simultaneously operated MAX-DOAS (MultiAXis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) instruments of various designs to record UV-visible spectra of scattered sunlight at different elevation angles that were analysed using common retrieval settings. The resulting HCHO data set was found to be highly consistent, the mean difference between instruments generally not exceeding 15% or 7.5 × 1015 molec cm−2, for all viewing elevation angles. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis was performed to investigate the uncertainties in the HCHO slant column retrieval when varying key input parameters such as the molecular absorption cross sections, correction terms for the Ring effect or the width and position of the fitting interval. This study led to the identification of potentially important sources of errors associated with cross-correlation effects involving the Ring effect, O4, HCHO and BrO cross sections and the DOAS closure polynomial. As a result, a set of updated recommendations was formulated for HCHO slant column retrieval in the 336.5–359 nm wavelength range. To conclude, an error budget is proposed which distinguishes between systematic and random uncertainties. The total systematic error is estimated to be of the order of 20% and is dominated by uncertainties in absorption cross sections and related spectral cross-correlation effects. For a typical integration time of one minute, random uncertainties range between 5 and 30%, depending on the noise level of individual instruments.

WOS:000753992700003 Objective: The high-grade level of smear acid-resistant bacilli (ARB) positivity has been linked to increased infectiousness in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). The ability to predict infectiousness is important in the management of the disease. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between smear results, the clinical features, and the levels of radiological involvement of TB. Methods: A total of 245 cases diagnosed with pulmonary TB were admitted to the study. Data including age, sex, case definition, numbers and characteristics of symptoms, smear results, smear positivity grades, and levels of radiological involvement were recorded. Relations between smear results and other data were determined via cluster tree and regression analysis. Results: The group with only coughing had higher rates of both positive smear and high smear positivity levels (p = 0.014 and p = 0.02, respectively) compared to the group without coughing. Similarly, the groups with moderate or high radiological involvement showed significantly higher rates of both positive smear and high smear positivity level when compared to the group exhibiting low radiological involvement (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Patients with coughing and a moderate to high level of radiological involvement should be closely monitored due to their high-level risk of transmission.

Any tripartite state which saturates the strong subadditivity relation for the quantum entropy is defined as the Markov state.A tripartite pure state describing an open system, its environment and their purifying system isa pure Markov state iff the bipartite marginal state of purifying system and environment is a product state. It has been shown that as long as the purification of the input system-environment state is a pure Markov state the reduced dynamics of the open system can be described, on the support of initial system state, by a quantum channel for every joint unitary evolution of the system-environment composite even in the presence of initial correlations. Entanglement, discord and classical correlations of the initial system-environment states implied by the pure Markov state are analyzed and it has been shown that all these correlations are entirely specified by the entropy of the environment. Some implications concerning perfect quantum error correction procedure and quantum Markovian dynamics are presented., 9 pages, Accepted version

A first direct intercomparison of aerosol vertical profiles from Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) observations, performed during the Cabauw Intercomparison Campaign of Nitrogen Dioxide measuring Instruments (CINDI) in summer 2009, is presented. Five out of 14 participants of the CINDI campaign reported aerosol extinction profiles and aerosol optical thickness (AOT) as deduced from observations of differential slant column densities of the oxygen collision complex (O4) at different elevation angles. Aerosol extinction vertical profiles and AOT are compared to backscatter profiles from a ceilometer instrument and to sun photometer measurements, respectively. Furthermore, the near-surface aerosol extinction coefficient is compared to in situ measurements of a humidity-controlled nephelometer and dry aerosol absorption measurements. The participants of this intercomparison exercise use different approaches for the retrieval of aerosol information, including the retrieval of the full vertical profile using optimal estimation and a parametrised approach with a prescribed profile shape. Despite these large conceptual differences, and also differences in the wavelength of the observed O4 absorption band, good agreement in terms of the vertical structure of aerosols within the boundary layer is achieved between the aerosol extinction profiles retrieved by the different groups and the backscatter profiles observed by the ceilometer instrument. AOTs from MAX-DOAS and sun photometer show a good correlation (R>0.8), but all participants systematically underestimate the AOT. Substantial differences between the near-surface aerosol extinction from MAX-DOAS and from the humidified nephelometer remain largely unresolved.

WOS: 000390040700453, …

The behaviour of beam-to-column connections plays an important role in the analysis and design of steel structures. A computer-based method is presented for nonlinear steel frames with semirigid connections accounting for shear deformations. The analytical procedure employs transcendental stability functions to model the effect of axial force on the stiffness of members. The member stiffness matrix, and the fixed end forces for various loads were found. The nonlinear analysis method is applied for three planar steel structures. The method is readily implemented on a computer using matrix structural analysis techniques and is applicable for the efficient nonlinear analysis of frameworks.