Search

Skin lesion segmentation for recognizing and defining the boundaries of skin lesions in images is proper for automated analysis of skin lesion images, especially for the early diagnosis and detection of skin cancers. Deep learning architectures are an efficient way to implement segmentation once a skin lesion dataset is provided with ground truth images. This study evaluates deep learning architectures on a hybrid dataset, including a private dataset collected from a hospital and a public ISIC dataset. Four different test cases exist in the analysis where the combinations of public and private datasets are used as train and test datasets. Experimental results include Unet, Unet++, DeepLabV3, DeepLabV3++, and FPN segmentation architectures. According to the comparative evaluations, mixed datasets, where public and private datasets were used together, provided the best results. The evaluations also show that the collected dataset with ground truth images provided promising results.

Background/Objective: The rising global incidence of skin cancer emphasizes the urgent need for reliable and accurate diagnostic tools to aid early intervention. This study introduces YOLOSAMIC (YOLO and SAM in Cancer Imaging), a fully automated segmentation framework that integrates YOLOv8 for lesion detection, and the Segment Anything Model (SAM)-Box for precise segmentation. The objective is to develop a reliable segmentation system that handles complex skin lesion characteristics without requiring manual intervention. Methods: A hybrid database comprising 3463 public and 765 private dermoscopy images was built to enhance model generalizability. YOLOv8 was employed to localize lesions through bounding box detection, while SAM-Box refined the segmentation process. The model was trained and evaluated under four scenarios to assess its robustness. Additionally, an ablation study examined the impact of grayscale conversion, image blur, and model pruning on segmentation performance. Results: YOLOSAMIC demonstrated high segmentation accuracy, achieving Dice and Jaccard scores of 0.9399 and 0.9112 on the public database and 0.8990 and 0.8445 on the hybrid dataset. Conclusions: The proposed YOLOSAMIC framework provides a robust, fully automated solution for skin lesion segmentation, eliminating the need for manual annotation. Integrating YOLOv8 and SAM-Box enhances segmentation precision, making it a valuable decision-support tool for dermatologists.

Soccer is a sport branch in which a wide range of movements of different intensities are applied, which includes long-term, rapidly changing runs as a game structure, and physical parameters such as strength, agility and endurance are kept in the foreground in addition to tactical and technical skills. At this point, it is aimed to examine the relationship between different performance tests applied in young soccer players in this study. 21 male soccer players (16,33± 0,66 years, height; 172,4± 6,05 cm, body weight: 57,00± 8,81 kg) from an amateur soccer team in Konya voluntarily participated in the study. In the study, anthropometric measurements, two legged vertical jump test, yo-yo intermittent recovery 1 and 2 test, 30m sprint test and agility t test parameters were measured. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 24 package program, and the Pearson Correlation method was used in the analysis of the obtained data. As a result of the analysis of the data; A negative correlation was found between two legged vertical jump data and 30m speed and agility t test. A positive and significant correlation was found with the 30m sprint test and the agility t test. And also, a significant negative correlation was found between agility t test and yo-yo intermittent recovery 1 and yo-yo intermittent recovery 2 tests. In addition, a significant positive correlation was observed between the yo-yo intermittent recovery 2 test and the yo-yo intermittent recovery 1 test. As a result, it has been observed that different performance tests applied in young soccer players in determining the basic motoric characteristics are both negatively and positively correlated with each other.

Çalışmamızda Q-öğrenme tabanlı adaptif PID kontrolörün gerçek zamanlı bir sistemdeki performansı incelenmiştir. Gerçek zamanlı sistem olarak DA makine hız kontrolü sistemi tercih edilmiştir. DA makine sisteminden gelen hata sinyali üzerinden sistemin durum bilgisi ve Q-öğrenme yöntemi için ödül sinyali hesaplanmaktadır. Durum bilgisi ve ödül sinyali yardımı ile PID katsayıları artırılıp azaltılarak optimal katsayılara ulaşılmaktadır. Her PID katsayısı için bir adet Q-tablosu tanımlanmıştır. Simülasyon çalışması ve gerçek zamanlı uygulama ile kontrolör performansı incelenmiştir. Pekiştirmeli öğrenme ile tasarlanan kontrolcünün klasik PID yapısı gibi başarılı olduğu tespit edilmiştir.

New cocogem surfactants were synthesized by interaction of dodecylisopropylol amine with dicarboxylic (oxalic, succinic, adipic, sebacic, tartaric, maleic, fumaric, isophthalic) acids. By tensiometric method, the surface activity of aqueous solutions of the synthesized cocogem surfactants at the border with air was studied and, by conductometric method, the specific electrical conductivity of these solutions was determined. The degree of counterion binding (β), critical micelle concentration (CMC), effectiveness of surface tension reduction (πCMC), surface excess concentration (Γmax), area per molecule at the interface (Amin), changes of Gibbs free energies of adsorption (ΔGad) and micellization (ΔGmic) have been calculated. The character of change of the colloidal-chemical indices depending on spacer-group nature and length has been clarified. So, with an elongation of the spacer group and when passing from cis-form to trans-form, the value of CMC decreases. The obtained cocogem surfactants exhibit a considerable bactericidal effectiveness against sulfate-reducing bacteria. The bactericide properties of the cocogem surfactants containing in the spacer chain a saturated hydrocarbon fragment and benzene ring are stronger than for the others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of exercise on antioxidant system (MDA, SOD, GSH) and some blood parameteres (plasma insuline, glucose, ALT, AST) in rats with experimental diabetes induced by streptozotocin (STZ). In the study, 32 adult Wistar Albino rats were divided into 4 equal groups as control (C), exercise (E), diabetes (D) and diabetes+exercise (DE). Diabetes was induced in D and DE by intraperitoneal injection with a single dose of 60 mg/kg STZ. After the diabetes was induced, swimming exercise was applied to E and DE for 5 days / 30 min a week for 4 weeks. According to the findings obtained; there was a significant decrease in D and DE compared to C. Plasma glucose levels decreased in DE with exercise in the diabetic groups. While ALT levels increased significantly in diabetic groups compared to others, it was found that exercise did not make a difference in diabetics. However, the increase in AST levels was statistically significant only in D. When serum MDA levels were examined, a significant decrease was observed in DE compared to D. While there was a significant decrease in serum SOD levels in the diabetic groups compared to C. The diabetic groups and DE and E were similar to each other. A significant decrease was observed in GSH levels in D. This difference was also detected between diabetic groups. As a result; in the study it was concluded that regular aerobic exercise improved glycemic control, has a lipid peroxidation-reducing effect and may hava a positive effect on strengthening the antioxidant system in diabetes.

At present, there is limited understanding of cybersecurity micro-credentials and their impact on K-12 teachers. This work evaluates a university's development of a computing-based learning and teaching environment for K-12 teachers, focusing on a set of cybersecurity micro-credential modules that we encapsulate within micro-credential professional development (PD) opportunities. This ongoing work consists of two pilot studies (Pilot 1 and Pilot 2) over an academic year (2020–2021) that engaged 21 K-12 teachers. The research questions explore the benefits and challenges of the cybersecurity micro-credential PD. The authors developed two modules for Pilot 1: Introduction to Cybersecurity (Module 0) and the Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) Triad (Module 1). There were nine K-12 teachers enrolled in the Pilot 1 course, with five participating in all aspects of the pilot study. The authors developed three more modules for Pilot 2: Abstraction (Module 2), Modularity (Module 3), and Least Privilege (Module 4). The authors utilized quantitative and qualitative data collection via four methods: 1) Assessment and lesson plan scores (quantitative); 2) thirteen semi-structured interviews (qualitative); 3) two bi-weekly progress reports (qualitative) and 4) two focus groups (qualitative). They assessed teachers' knowledge gains in specific cybersecurity and computing. The authors coded interview question answers, focus group notes, and biweekly progress report summaries and grouped them into major themes by searching descriptive words. This research study showcases innovative tools (i.e., micro-credential modules) for teaching cybersecurity. Lastly, the authors describe a method to deliver cybersecurity content through a micro-credential based on virtual PD for K–12 teachers. The main limitation in this work is the small sample size.

AAmaç: Çalışmada Ankilozan spondilit ve diğer spondiloartropatilerin moleküler tanısında kullanılmak üzere güvenilir, ekonomik ve rutin kullanıma uygun laboratuvar yapımı (in-house) HLA-B*27 PCR-SSP tanı kiti geliştirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmaya, ticari kitler kullanılarak HLA-B*27 pozitif olarak saptanan 119 ve negatif olarak saptanan 446 olmak üzere toplam 565 olgu dahil edildi. HLA-B*27 tipleme için sekansa spesifik primerler ve beta globin gen bölgesinden yararlanılarak dizayn edilen internal kontrol primer çifti kullanılarak PCR optimizasyonu gerçekleştirildi. Bulgular: HLA-B*27’si pozitif olan olgularda, %2’lik agaroz jelinde 273 bç internal kontrol bandının ilerisinde 149 bç’lik spesifik bant olmak üzere çift bant, B*27 negatif hastalarda ise sadece 273 bç’lik internal kontrol bandı saptandı. Ticari kitler kullanılarak HLA-B*27’si pozitif olarak saptanan 119 ve negatif olarak saptanan 446 bireyin sonuçları ile tarafımızdan geliştirilen PCR-SSP kiti kullanılarak elde edilen sonuçların tamamen uyumlu olması nedeniyle sensitivite ve spesifite %100 olarak belirlendi. Geliştirdiğimiz laboratuvar yapımı PCR-SSP kitinin maliyetinin, ticari kitlere göre en az 50 kat daha ucuz olduğu görüldü. Sonuç: Ticari kitler kullanılarak HLA-B*27’si pozitif olarak saptanan 119 ve negatif olarak saptanan 446 olgunun tamamında, geliştirdiğimiz yöntemle de birebir uyumlu sonuçlar elde edildi. Bu bulgular geliştirdiğimiz kitin güvenilir, ekonomik ve rutin kullanıma uygun olduğunu göstermektedir.

Traumatic occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) is a rare cause of cerebral infarction. Malignant infarction of the MCA is associated with a mortality rate of 80%. Arterial dissection, cerebral vasospasm, and thrombosis may be the pathogenesis of this condition. Poor admission Glasgow coma scale score, low systolic blood pressure, and brain herniation are significantly associated with development of posttraumatic cerebral infarction. There is no effective medical treatment for malignant MCA infarction. Decompressive craniotomy is the last solution to prevent severe damage or death. We report a 51-year-old female having craniofacial injury, multiple chest trauma, hemothorax, pneumothorax, and cerebral infarction after a traffic accident. Despite decompression surgery, she died two days after the injury.

Growing skull fracture (GSF) is a rare complication of cranio-cerebral injuries in infants and children under three years of age. Falls and blunt force head trauma are the most frequent causes of head injuries. GSF usually results from a linear calvarial fracture, however, it may also occur due to a closed-head injury. The most common symptom is scalp swelling without progressive tenderness or pain. The most common site of GSF is the parietal region. GSF may cause epilepsy, neurologic disorders and calvarial asymmetry. Duraplasty in early period of GSF is recommended in order to have better results. Here, we report a 15-month-old girl with parietal bone fracture who was followed closely both clinically and radiologically and underwent surgical repair of GSF and enlargement of the dural defect.

Computer science, cybersecurity education, and microcredentials are becoming more pervasive in all levels of the educational system. The purpose of this study was partnering with precollegiate teachers: (1) to investigate the self-efficacy of 30 precollegiate teacher participants towards computer science before, during, and after three iterations of a cybersecurity microcredential, and (2) to make changes to the cybersecurity microcredential to improve its effectiveness. The authors explored what teachers need in a microcredential. The first Cohort (n = 5) took the microcredential sequence over 28 days in the summer of 2020, the second Cohort (n = 16) took it over 42 days in the fall of 2020, and the third Cohort (n = 9) took it over 49 days in the summer of 2021. The authors investigated three research questions and used a systems thinking approach while developing, evaluating, and implementing the research study. The researchers used quantitative methods in the collection of a self-efficacy subscale survey to assess whether the precollegiate teachers’ beliefs about computer science changed, and then used qualitative methods when conducting semi-structured teacher participant interviews to address the research questions. The findings show that the precollegiate teachers’ self-efficacy scores towards computer science increased, and that there are areas in need of attention, such as resources and implementation, when creating microcredentials. The implications of this research include the importance of purposefully crafting microcredentials and professional developments, including aspects of creating effective partnerships.

Glikokortikoidler (GK) otomimmün hastalıkların tedavilerinde sıklıkla kullanılmaktadırlar ve femur başı avasküler nekrozunun (FBAN) bilinen en sık travmatik olmayan sebebidirler. GK kullanan hastalardaki en sık ortopedik cerrahi nedeni ise FBAN’dur. GK’ler immün sistemi baskılayarak enfeksiyona yatkınlığı artırır. FBAN septik artrit ile benzer klinik tabloya sahiptir. GK kullanan hastalarda Salmonella nadir bir septik artrit sebebidir. Erken evre FBAN tedavisinde kordekompresyon altın standart tedavi yöntemidir. Hastamız 28 yaşında erkek ve kliniğimize kalça ağrısı şikayeti ile başvurdu. Öyküsünden Multipl Skleroz tanısı (MS) sebebiyle iki kere megadoz steroid tedavisi gördüğünü öğrendik. Röntgen ve MRI bulguları FBAN’u destekler nitelikteydi. Hastaya kordekompresyon operasyonu uyguladık ve eklem sıvısından örnek aldık. Operasyondan sonra alının örnekte Salmonella bakterisi üremesi üzerine FBAN’nun septik artrit ile birlikte olduğunu anladık. Hastayı ilk operasyonunundan 2 gün sonra tekrar opere ederek sinoviyal dokulara yönelik debridman ve yıkama işlemi uyguladık. Salmonella septik artriti ile FBAN birlikteliği orak hücreli anemisi olan hastalarda bildirilmesine rağmen nadirdir. Erken evre FBAN sebebiyle kordekompresyon uygulanan ve beklenen klinik iyileşme görülmeyen hastalarda septik artrit ekarte edilmelidir

The flexibility is effective to provide an optimal body development appropriate to needs of sports branch and development of physical factors such as strength, speed and sport technique. The purpose of this study is to compare the flexibility and sprint performance values according to age and gender, the features of physical fitness performance of boys and girls who play football. Total of 172 volunteer’s measurements were evaluated which consisted of 99 men footballer whose average age are 12,919 0,078 years and 72 women footballer whose average age are 12,973 0,065 years. Age, height, weight, BMI, flexibility, 10 m and 20 m speed measurements of groups were taken. Multiple Regression Analysis was utilized for searching the relationships between flexibility and detected features. Formed by Stepwise variable selection method, the Multiple Regression Analysis was allowed to consist of statistically significant variables. Two sample T-test was used to compare gender in terms of average speed of 10 m and 20m. 10 m and 20 m sprint performance determined that the significant difference is in favor of the male players according to gender. The relationship between speed and flexibility was varied by gender. The significant relation was found between flexibility values and 10 m sprint performance values of male footballers (P=0,002), while the significant relation was found between flexibility values and 20 m sprint performance values of female footballers (P=0,009).In order to improve the sprint performance, which is a specific skill of football, flexibility of the muscles should be trained with a program at an early age.

This study was applied to investigate the effects of fatigue on instep kick performance in soccer. Seven male soccer players participated in this research. Each had a minimum 6 years of soccer playing experience. The age was (mean±SD) 22.85 ± 1.57 years, height 178.14 ± 3.08 cm, weight 69.35 ± 3.71 kg, body mass index 21.86 ± 1.25 kg/m2 and maxVO2 values were 59.14 ± 4.77 ml/kg/min of subjects. The high intensity endurance protocol selected to be used in the present study has been previously applied to simulate soccer field conditions to occur fatigue on subjects. The subjects performed 5 instep kicks from the 16 m distance to the goal targets prior to, in the middle and after the implementation of a 90 min intermittent exercise protocol. Analysis of the sprint times taking a part in an exercise protocol, the significant difference was found (P lt;0.01). While there was an increase on sprint times, after the multiple comparison the significant difference was came out between the first and the last parts of the test protocol (P lt;0.05). During the exercise, when the average heart rate of subjects was compared according to the parts; there was significant differences with the first and third parts between the second and last parts (P lt;0.01). The lactate levels of subjects were increased throughout the exercise application. The results indicated that the lactate values were also significantly higher compared with the pre-fatigue values (P lt;0.01). The decrease was occurred on instep kick performance performed in accordance with F-Marc shooting dead ball test of all subject in the middle and after of the exercise protocol. The present results suggest that the fatigue affects the soccer kick performance. While the kicks apart the parts was compared there is a significant decreasing was observed. It can say that the fatigue affects the success of the kick.

The Berlin Congress brought significant changes to the political map of Europe. It is important for the Serbian people that two Serbian states gained independence, albeit within modest limits. A large part of the Serbian people remained under Tutrian and Austro-Hungarian rule. The Principality of Serbia has become a center for the gathering of political leaders of the Serbian people outside of Serbia, who are interested in continuing the unification process. There were also many interfering factors, such as the great powers and their conflicting interests, but also the dynastic struggle for dominance of the three Serbian dynasties of Karađorđević, Obrenović and Petrović. Regardless, at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Serbia's foreign policy was aimed at unifying the Serbian people. The first step was the elimination of Turkey in the Balkans, and that required an alliance with the Greeks and Bulgarians, as well as the favor of some great powers (above all Russia). The great hindering factor in the crushing of Turkey was above all Austria-Hungary and the United Kingdom, each for its own interests. because of this, the path to the creation of the Balkan Alliance was long and arduous. Even the two Serbian countries entered periods of cooling of relations. The issue of territory and demarcation between future allies was also very complex. Serbia had its centuries-old tradition of national and state consciousness in Old Serbia (Vardar region), where the imperial capital, Skopje, and the royal capital Prilep were also located. All historical and national arguments were on the Serbian side, including the creation of the indigenous Serbian Chetnik movement, led by Micko Krstić, Jovan Stojković Babunski, Jovan Stanojković Dovezenski, and many other Chetnik leaders who came from this land.

The United Kingdom is the colonial power that has best positioned its position and relationship with former colonies of any colonial power in history. First, the British Commonwealth of Nations was created as a grouping that connects the metropolis with a huge number of countries. In addition, the King of the United Kingdom is the head of state in fifteen independent countries that were once colonies. The status of dominion was also introduced, which does not encroach on the country's sovereignty and membership in the OUN, but in all important moments, especially in war conflicts, this state militarily supports the United Kingdom. Among them are some of the largest countries in the world, Canada and Australia, as well as New Zealand, which is a large country by European standards. Capital flows, which are concentrated in London for a significant part, are particularly significant. Some of the world's biggest financial powerhouses live in London. The United Kingdom's exit from the EU gives it a position to more freely influence events in Europe and the world, and even in the EU itself. The future will show how far this country will play an extremely important role in world relations.

Separation of equally sized particles distinguished solely by material properties remains still a very challenging task. Here a simple separation of differently charged, thermo-responsive polymeric particles (for example microgels) but equal in size, via the combination of pressure-driven microfluidic flow and precise temperature control is proposed. The separation principle relies on forcing thermo-responsive microgels to undergo the volume phase transition during heating and therefore changing its size and correspondingly the change in drift along a pressure driven shear flow. Different thermo-responsive particle types such as different grades of ionizable groups inside the polymer matrix have different temperature regions of volume phase transition temperature (VPTT). This enables selective control of collapsed versus swollen microgels, and accordingly, this physical principle provides a simple method for fractioning a binary mixture with at least one thermo-responsive particle, which is achieved by elution times in the sense of particle chromatography. The concepts are visualized in experimental studies, with an intend to improve the purification strategy of the broad distribution of charged microgels into fractioning to more narrow distribution microgels distinguished solely by slight differences in net charge., (© 2024 The Author(s). Small Methods published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

In this article, a novel strategy is presented to selectively separate a mixture of equally sized microparticles but differences in material composition and surface properties. The principle relies on a photosensitive surfactant, which makes particles under light illumination phoretically active. The latter hovers microparticles from a planar interface and together with a superimposed fluid flow, particles experience a drift motion characteristic to its interfacial properties. The drift motion is investigated as a function of applied wavelength, demonstrating that particles composed of different material show a unique spectrally resolved light-induced motion profile. Differences in those motion profile allow a selective fractioning of a desired particle from a complex particle mixture made out of more than two equally sized different particle types. Besides that, the influence of applied wavelength is systematically studied, and discussed the origin of the spectrally resolved chemical activity of microparticles from measured photo-isomerization rates., (© 2024 The Author(s). Small published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

On-demand switch on/off blood clogging is of paramount importance for the survival of mammals, for example as a quick response to seal damage wounds to minimize their bleeding rate. This mechanism is a complex chain process from initiated red blood cell aggregation at the target location (open wound) that quickly seals on a macroscopic scale the damaged flash. Inspired by nature an on-demand switchable particle clogging mechanism is developed with high spatial resolution down to micrometer size using light as an external non-invasive stimulation. Particle clogging can be adjusted on demand strong enough to even withstand pressure-driven fluid flow, additionally building up walls of aggregated particles, which stop the momentum of big particles under shear. The principle relies on a photosensitive surfactant, which induces under light illumination a long-ranged lateral attractive phoretic-osmotic activity of silica microparticles forcing them to aggregate. The strength of aggregation and therefore motion reduction or even stop of the particles against the fluid flow depends on the ratio between the aggregation strength and the velocity of the particles. The aggregation strength can be precisely controlled by the applied light intensity and adjusted particle concentration. Increasing both parameters results in a stronger aggregation tendency., (© 2024 The Authors. Small published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) has become an efficient and versatile measurement technique for investigating in situ the external stimuli responsiveness such as pH, temperature, or chemical gradients of surface-active substances at solid-liquid interfaces. However, light responsive adsorption investigation is more challenging presumably since the quartz crystal itself reacts to optical stimulation, showing frequency and dissipation shifts known as light induced detuning (LID). This yields an effective measurement artifact and makes data interpretation with respect to dynamic interactions of light responsive materials rather challenging. Here we introduce a simple guideline for correcting the artifacts of the QCM sensor response on irradiation to ensure quantitative analysis for light responsive materials via OCM-D. We also show that the LID depends on the adsorption properties of the sensor and the solvent properties (ionic concentration or viscosity), providing a guideline to minimize impact of the LID.

Their inherent directional information renders patchy particles interesting building blocks for advanced applications in materials science. In this study, a feasible method to fabricate patchy silicon dioxide microspheres is demonstrated, which they are able to equip with tailor-made polymeric materials as patches. Their fabrication method relies on a solid-state supported microcontact printing (µCP) routine optimized for the transfer of functional groups to capillary-active substrates, which is used to introduce amino functionalities as patches to a monolayer of particles. Acting as anchor groups for polymerization, photo-iniferter reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) is used to graft polymer from the patch areas. Accordingly, particles with poly(N-acryloyl morpholine), poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide), and poly(n-butyl acrylate) are prepared as representative acrylic acid-derived functional patch materials. To facilitate their handling in water, a passivation strategy of the particles for aqueous systems is introduced. The protocol introduced here, therefore, promises a vast degree of freedom in engineering the surface properties of highly functional patchy particles. This feature is unmatched by other techniques to fabricate anisotropic colloids. The method, thus, can be considered a platform technology, culminating in the fabrication of particles that possess locally precisely formed patches on particles at a low µm scale with a high material functionality., (© 2023 The Authors. Small published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

We report on triggering of p(NIPAM-AA) microgels' photo-responsiveness by making complexes with a spiropyran (SP) containing surfactant. Being dissolved in water, the SP surfactant in its merocyanine state bears three charges, while irradiation with UV and vis light leads to the partial or complete reversal of the SP state. The complexation of the photo-responsive amphiphile with swollen anionic microgels results in charge compensation within the gel interior and as a consequence its size reduces and the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) decreases down to 32 °C. Under irradiation the MC form photo-isomerizes to a ring closed SP state generating a more hydrophobic surfactant with one positive charge at the head. The increase in the hydrophobicity of the surfactant and thus of the interior of the gel results in the reversible size change of the microgel. We investigate the photo-responsivity of the microgel as a function of wavelength and irradiation intensity, as well as of surfactant concentration and charge density of the microgel. We show that the change in the size and VPTT of the microgels during irradiation occurs through a combination of two processes: heating of the solution during light absorption by the surfactant (more pronounced in the case of UV irradiation) and the change in the hydrophobicity of the surfactant.

Separation of particles by size, morphology, or material identity is of paramount importance in fields such as filtration or bioanalytics. Up to now separation of particles distinguished solely by surface properties or bulk/surface morphology remains a very challenging process. Here a combination of pressure-driven microfluidic flow and local self-phoresis/osmosis are proposed via the light-induced chemical activity of a photoactive azobenzene-surfactant solution. This process induces a vertical displacement of the sedimented particles, which depends on their size and surface properties . Consequently, different colloidal components experience different regions of the ambient microfluidic shear flow. Accordingly, a simple, versatile method for the separation of such can be achieved by elution times in a sense of particle chromatography. The concepts are illustrated via experimental studies, complemented by theoretical analysis, which include the separation of bulk-porous from bulk-compact colloidal particles and the separation of particles distinguished solely by slight differences in their surface physico-chemical properties., (© 2023 The Authors. Advanced Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Inspired by mussel proteins that enable surface binding in harsh marine environments, we envisioned a platform of protein-repellent macromolecules based on poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) carrying catechol and cationic functional groups. To facilitate surface attachment, catechol units were installed by copolymerizing a functional comonomer, i.e ., 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-oxazoline, in a gradient fashion. Cationic units were introduced by partial acidic hydrolysis. The surface affinity of these polymers was probed using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), and it was found that polymers with catechol units had a strong tendency to form surface-bound layers on different substrates, i.e ., gold, iron, borosilicate, and polystyrene. While the neutral catechol-containing polymers showed strong, but uncontrolled binding, the ones with additional cationic units were able to form defined and durable polymer films. These coatings were able to prevent the attachment of different model proteins, i.e ., bovine serum albumin (BSA), fibrinogen (FI), or lysozyme (LYZ). The herein-introduced platform offers straightforward access to nonfouling surface coatings using a biomimetic approach.

Xanthate-supported photo-iniferter (XPI)-reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization is introduced as a fast and versatile photo-polymerization strategy. Small amounts of xanthate are added to conventional RAFT polymerizations to act as a photo-iniferter under light irradiation. Radical exchange is facilitated by the main CTA ensuring control over the molecular weight distribution, while xanthate enables an efficient photo-(re)activation. The photo-active moiety is thus introduced into the polymer as an end group, which makes chain extension of the produced polymers possible directly by irradiation. This is in sharp contrast to conventional photo-initiators, or photo electron transfer (PET)-RAFT polymerizations, where radical generation depends on the added small molecules. In contrast to regular photo-iniferter-RAFT polymerization, photo-activation is decoupled from polymerization control, rendering XPI-RAFT an elegant tool for the fabrication of defined and complex macromolecules. The method is oxygen tolerant and robust and was used to perform screenings in a well-plate format, and it was even possible to produce multiblock copolymers in a coffee mug under open-to-air conditions. XPI-RAFT does not rely on highly specialized equipment and qualifies as a universal tool for the straightforward synthesis of complex macromolecules. The method is user-friendly and broadens the scope of what can be achieved with photo-polymerization techniques., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Polymeric antimicrobial peptide mimics are a promising alternative for the future management of the daunting problems associated with antimicrobial resistance. However, the development of successful antimicrobial polymers (APs) requires careful control of factors such as amphiphilic balance, molecular weight, dispersity, sequence, and architecture. While most of the earlier developed APs focus on random linear copolymers, the development of APs with advanced architectures proves to be more potent. It is recently developed multivalent bottlebrush APs with improved antibacterial and hemocompatibility profiles, outperforming their linear counterparts. Understanding the rationale behind the outstanding biological activity of these newly developed antimicrobials is vital to further improving their performance. This work investigates the physicochemical properties governing the differences in activity between linear and bottlebrush architectures using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Linear copolymers are more solvated, thermo-responsive, and possess facial amphiphilicity resulting in random aggregations when interacting with liposomes mimicking Escheria coli membranes. The bottlebrush copolymers adopt a more stable secondary conformation in aqueous solution in comparison to linear copolymers, conferring rapid and more specific binding mechanism to membranes. The advantageous physicochemical properties of the bottlebrush topology seem to be a determinant factor in the activity of these promising APs., (© 2022 The Authors. Macromolecular Rapid Communications published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Here we show that microgels trapped at a solid wall can issue liquid flow and transport over distances several times larger than the particle size. The microgel consists of cross-linked poly( N -isopropylacrylamide- co -acrylic acid) (PNIPAM-AA) polymer chains loaded with cationic azobenzene-containing surfactant, which can assume either a trans- or a cis- state depending on the wavelength of the applied irradiation. The microgel, being a selective absorber of trans -isomers, responds by changing its volume under irradiation with light of appropriate wavelength at which the cis -isomers of the surfactant molecules diffuse out of the particle interior. Together with the change in particle size, the expelled cis -isomers form an excess of the concentration and subsequent gradient in osmotic pressure generating a halo of local light-driven diffusioosmotic ( l -LDDO) flow. The direction and the strength of the l -LDDO depends on the intensity and irradiation wavelength, as well as on the amount of surfactant absorbed by the microgel. The flow pattern around a microgel is directed radially outward and can be maintained quasi-indefinitely under exposure to blue light when the trans-/cis -ratio is 2/1, establishing a photostationary state. Irradiation with UV light, on the other hand, generates a radially transient flow pattern, which inverts from inward to outward over time at low intensities. By measuring the displacement of tracer particles around neutral microgels during a temperature-induced collapse, we can exclude that a change in particle shape itself causes the flow, i.e., just by expulsion or uptake of water. Ultimately, it is its ability to selectively absorb two isomers of photosensitive surfactant under different irradiation conditions that leads to an effective pumping caused by a self-induced diffusioosmotic flow.

A cationic surfactant containing a spiropyran unit is prepared exhibiting a dual-responsive adjustability of its surface-active characteristics. The switching mechanism of the system relies on the reversible conversion of the non-ionic spiropyran (SP) to a zwitterionic merocyanine (MC) and can be controlled by adjusting the pH value and via light, resulting in a pH-dependent photoactivity: While the compound possesses a pronounced difference in surface activity between both forms under acidic conditions, this behavior is suppressed at a neutral pH level. The underlying switching processes are investigated in detail, and a thermodynamic explanation based on a combination of theoretical and experimental results is provided. This complex stimuli-responsive behavior enables remote-control of colloidal systems. To demonstrate its applicability, the surfactant is utilized for the pH-dependent manipulation of oil-in-water emulsions., (© 2022 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Objective: Bronchiectasis is a chronic suppurative lung disease that significantly impacts the patients' quality of life. Aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between life of quality and patient's psychological status and bronchiectasis disease severity indexes in patients with non-Cystic Fibrosis (CF) bronchiectasis. We also aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of Turkish version of Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-Bronchiectasis (QoL-B V3.1) in Turkish adult bronchiectatic patients., Material and Methods: 90 stable non-CF bronchiectatic adult patients were enrolled into this study. At baseline, dyspnea score, BMI, lung function tests, sputum cultures, number of exacerbations and hospital admissions, disease severity indexes were recorded. All of the participants underwent quality of life assessment using both QoL-B V3.1 and of Short-Form (SF)-36 questionnaires, psychological status was evaluated by using HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale)., Results: In all study participants, anxiety was diagnosed in 27/90 (30%) of patients and depression was diagnosed in 37/90 (41%) of patients. Patients with anxiety and depression had lower quality of life scores in various domains (p:0.026-p:0.001) and HADS scores negatively correlated with several quality-of-life domains (r=-0.216 - r=- 0.343). Female patients had higher risk for depression (55% vs 22%, p:0.002) and worse quality of life than males (p:0.016-p:0.038). Several life quality scores of both instruments were worse in patients with moderate-severe disease severity indexes when compared with those of mild groups. Moreover, Turkish version of newly described QoL-B V3.1 questionnaire was found to be reliable and valid instrument to evaluate the quality of life., Conclusion: These results emphasize the importance of mental health and disease severity as significant determinants of the life quality in patients particularly female patients with non-CF bronchiectasis.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have great potential for biological applications as typically they exhibit strongly size-dependent properties. Specifically, the interaction of NPs with phospholipid membranes is significantly relevant to nanomedicine and the related field of nanotoxicology. Therefore, the investigation of interactions of NPs with model membranes is not only fundamentally important but also practically valuable to understand interactions of NPs with more complex cell membranes. Here, we report on the interaction of anionic vesicles of different charge densities and cationic SiO 2 NPs, either covered by a bare surface functionalized with amino moieties (-NH 2 ) or covered by poly[2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate]. We studied the kinetics of binding of NPs to the vesicle surface by time-resolved scattering experiments. A key result of the study is that binding is favored in the presence of electrostatic attraction, but the polymer layer decreases the binding rate drastically.

Objective: Bronchiectasis is characterized by chronic respiratory infection. The role of immunodeficiency in this disease is poorly studied in relation to clinical indices. The primary aim of this study was to determine the frequency of these neglected altered immune status by evaluating immunoglobulins, lymphocyte subsets, complement levels, and neutrophil function, and to assess its relationship with clinical parameters in adult patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB)., Material and Methods: A total of 74 (30 men and 44 women with a mean age of 47±17 years) adult patients with stable NCFB were enrolled in this study. The bronchiectasis severity index (BSI) and FACED (F:FEV1, A: Age, C: Chronic colonization, E: Extension, D: Dyspnea) scores were assessed. Peripheral blood samples were collected for the detection of total IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, and IgG subclasses and C3 and C4 levels. The counts of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD16/56 expressing peripheral blood lymphocytes and neutrophil oxidative function were evaluated., Results: In the study population, BSI and FACED severity index scores increased with longer duration of the disease (p=0.01 and p=0.040, respectively). Of the 74 patients, 27 (37%) showed humoral aberrations. The number of male patients were higher in this group (p=0.03). High serum total IgE levels were associated with high scores in BSI (moderate-severe group versus mild group, p=0.030). Patients with bronchiectasis demonstrated lower CD3+ T cell count, lower CD4+ T helper cell percentage, and lower CD4+ T cell count (p=0.031, p=0.030, p=0.029, respectively) than healthy subjects. A significant negative correlation was found between the percentage and count of CD16/56+ natural killer (NK) cells and the number of exacerbations within the past year (r=-0.230, p=0.049 and r=-0.264, p=0.023, respectively)., Conclusion: Humoral aberrations in adult patients with NCFB were found to be frequent. IgE levels were related to high scores for disease severity indices. Furthermore, patients with low percentage and counts of NK cells had higher rates of exacerbations. These results emphasize the importance of immune function assessment in adult patients with NCFB.

Ionic complexation of azobenzene-containing surfactants with any type of oppositely charged soft objects allows for making them photo-responsive in terms of their size, shape and surface energy. Investigation of the photo-isomerization kinetic and isomer composition at a photo-stationary state of the photo-sensitive surfactant conjugated with charged objects is a necessary prerequisite for understanding the structural response of photo-sensitive complexes. Here, we report on photo-isomerization kinetics of a photo-sensitive surfactant in the presence of poly(acrylic acid, sodium salt). We show that the photo-isomerization of the azobenzene-containing cationic surfactant is slower in a polymer complex compared to being purely dissolved in aqueous solution. In a photo-stationary state, the ratio between the trans and cis isomers is shifted to a higher trans -isomer concentration for all irradiation wavelengths. This is explained by the formation of surfactant aggregates near the polyelectrolyte chains at concentrations much lower than the bulk critical micelle concentration and inhibition of the photo-isomerization kinetics due to steric hindrance within the densely packed aggregates.

We report on the adsorption kinetics of azobenzene-containing surfactants on solid surfaces of different hydrophobicity. The understanding of this processes is of great importance for many interfacial phenomena that can be actuated and triggered by light, since the surfactant molecules contain a photoresponsive azobenzene group in their hydrophobic tail. Three surfactant types are studied, differing in the spacer connecting the headgroup and the azobenzene unit by between 6 and 10 CH 2 groups. Under irradiation with light of a suitable wavelength, the azobenzene undergoes reversible photoisomerization between two states, a nonpolar trans -state and a highly polar cis -state. Consequently, the surfactant molecule changes its hydrophobicity and thus affinity to a surface depending on the photoisomerization state of the azobenzene. The adsorption behavior on hydrophilic (glass) and hydrophobic (TeflonAF) surfaces is analyzed using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and ζ-potential measurements. At equilibrium, the adsorbed surfactant amount is almost twice as large on glass compared to TeflonAF for both isomers. The adsorption rate for the trans -isomers on both surfaces is similar, but the desorption rate of the trans -isomers is faster at the glass-water interface than at the Teflon-water interface. This result demonstrates that the trans -isomers have higher affinity for the glass surface, so the trans -to- cis ratios on glass and TeflonAF are 80/1 and 2/1, respectively, with similar trends for all three surfactant types.

We detected the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) or decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) in paired hair-serum and nail-serum samples collected from the corresponding chemical manufacturing workers. The levels of decabrominated diphenyl ether (BDE-209) or DBDPE in the serum, hair and nail samples were all significantly higher than those reported in other studies, and the "work place" (pretreatment or posttreatment workshop) was the primary influencing factor that affected the levels of specific BFRs in vivo. For BDE-209 workers, the BDE-209 in both the hair and nail samples were significantly and positively related to the BDE-209 in the serum, indicating that both hair and nails can be used as noninvasive biomatrices to reflect internal exposure to BDE-209. In DBDPE workers, hair rather than nails was more suitable for use as a noninvasive biomatrix to infer the DBDPE exposure level. A series of serum biomarkers reflecting thyroid hormones and liver and kidney injuries were tested to calculate the correlations between hair or nail BFR levels and the levels of the biomatrices. The BDE-209 in the hair samples was significantly and positively correlated with the total protein (TP), and the nail BDE-209 level was significantly and positively related to the total bilirubin (TBIL), indirect bilirubin (IDBIL) and uric acid (UA). The DBDPE in hair was significantly and positively correlated with the thyroid hormones free triiodothyronine (fT3) and total triiodothyronine (tT3) and kidney injury markers, including blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (CRE) and cystatin C (Cys-C). In addition, the nail DBDPE levels were significantly and positively correlated with the albumin/globulin (A/G), BUN, CRE and Cys-C but negatively correlated with the TP and globulin (GLO). Our findings provide preliminary evidence that hair and nails can be used as noninvasive biomatrices for assessing internal BFR exposure and health damage in occupational workers., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Bronchiectasis is a chronic suppurative disease characterized by abnormal bronchial dilatation. The nature of bronchiectasis may have negative impact on psychological status, however it is poorly studied in relation to clinical indices, particularly the severity of disease. Primary aim of this study is to detect depression and anxiety in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis and to evaluate its relationship with disease severity indexes., Materials and Methods: Ninety (male/female= 37/53; median age 45 years) stable non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectatic adult patients were enrolled into this study. Dyspnea scores, number of exacerbations and hospital admissions within the last year, body-mass index, pulmonary function tests, sputum cultures, bronchiectasis disease severity indexes (BSI and FACED) were assessed. Anxiety and depression were evaluated by using the Turkish version of the hospital anxiety and depression scale questionaire., Result: Anxiety was diagnosed in 30% of patients and depression was diagnosed in 41% of the participants. Female participants had significantly higher rates of depression (55% vs. 22%; p= 0.002). Exacerbation rates within the last year were higher among the subjects with anxiety, moreover, patients with depression had shorter duration of disease. BSI and FACED severity indexes increased with longer duration of disease (5.6 ± 5.0 yrs in mild group vs. 10.1 ± 9.2 yrs in moderate-to-severe group, p= 0.035 and 5.7 ± 5.4 yrs in mild group vs. 12.1 ± 9.7 yrs in moderate-to-severe group, p= 0.001, respectively), however, anxiety and depression were not related with BSI and FACED severity indexes., Conclusions: Patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis have an increased risk for depression and anxiety. Duration of disease and higher exacerbation rate are related with psychological status and indexes increased with longer duration of disease. Early detection and taking the necessary measures to improve the psychological state is necessary for the overall management of these patients.

We report on photoisomerization kinetics of azobenzene containing surfactants in aqueous solution. The surfactant molecule consists of a positively charged trimethylammonium bromide head group, a hydrophobic spacer connecting via 6 to 10 CH 2 groups to the azobenzene unit, and the hydrophobic tail of 1 and 3CH 2 groups. Under exposure to light, the azobenzene photoisomerizes from more stable trans- to metastable cis-state, which can be switched back either thermally in dark or by illumination with light of a longer wavelength. The surfactant isomerization is described by a kinetic model of a pseudo first order reaction approaching equilibrium, where the intensity controls the rate of isomerization until the equilibrated state. The rate constants of the trans-cis and cis-trans photoisomerization are calculated as a function of several parameters such as wavelength and intensity of light, the surfactant concentration, and the length of the hydrophobic tail. The thermal relaxation rate from cis- to trans-state is studied as well. The surfactant isomerization shows a different kinetic below and above the critical micellar concentration of the trans isomer due to steric hindrance within the densely packed micelle but does not depend on the spacer length.

Background: Ultrasound-based diaphragmatic thickness fraction is a reflection of the size and function of the diaphragm. This study aimed to examine the value of this measurement in identifying patients with COPD who are at high risk for the development of symptoms and exacerbations., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 53 subjects with COPD. Respiratory function test results, ultrasonography-based diaphragmatic thickness, symptom scores (modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale); COPD Assessment Test results, and number of previous exacerbations and admissions were recorded., Results: Only age showed an inverse and weak relation with percent thickness fraction (r = -0.37, P = .006). None of the other variables tested correlated significantly with percent thickness fraction. No association was found between percent thickness fraction and exacerbation frequency, modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale and COPD Assessment Test symptom scores, or Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease ABCD risk/symptom assessments., Conclusions: Diaphragmatic thickness fraction measurements based on diaphragmatic ultrasound assessment in subjects with COPD seemed to be unable to identify subjects at high risk of symptoms and exacerbations as defined by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease ABCD composite disease index., Competing Interests: The authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2017 by Daedalus Enterprises.)

Purpose: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of spiral CT angiography (CTA) in detection of cerebral aneurysms in cases with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)., Materials and Methods: Spiral CT angiography and DSA examinations were performed in 32 cases due to non-traumatic SAH. CTA data were obtained by maximum intensity projection (MIP) method. CTA and DSA findings were evaluated and compared in terms of existence of aneurysm, size and location., Results: In 32 patients, DSA detected 34 aneurysms with diameters ranging from 3 to 13 mm while four cases were free of aneurysms. With CTA, an aneurysm at anterior communicating artery location could not be demonstrated. In all other cases CTA correlated well with DSA in detecting the site, size and orientation of the aneurysms. It was found that CTA sensitivity was 97% and specificity was 100% in diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms., Conclusion: Spiral CTA is a highly accurate, cheap and non-invasive imaging method in diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms in cases with SAH and can be used as a safe alternative method to DSA when emergency surgery is needed.