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The study focuses on design education using Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) and explores the effects of learning styles and gender on the performance scores of freshman design students in three successive academic years. Findings indicate that the distribution of design students through learning style type preference was more concentrated in assimilating and converging groups. Further study indicates that the first and third groups were found to be more balancing while the second group being mostly a southerner. The learning style preferences did not significantly differ by gender in all three groups. Although there is no consistency in all three groups, results indicate that the performance scores of males were higher in technology-based courses, whereas scores of females were higher in artistic and fundamental courses and in the semester academic performance scores (GPA). Also, it was found that the performance scores of converging and diverging students differed significantly in favor of converging students only in design courses. In design education, instructors should provide a strategy that is relevant to the style of each learner in design studio process.

Treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) with conventional percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) causes significant recurrent neointimal tissue growth in 30-85%. Therefore, laser ablation of intrastent neointimal hyperplasia before balloon dilation can be an attractive alternative. However, the long-term outcomes of such treatment have not been studied thoroughly enough. This prospective case-control study evaluated angiographic and clinical outcomes of PTCA alone and a combination of excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) and adjunct PTCA in 125 patients with ISR. ELCA was performed before balloon dilation in 67 patients, PTCA alone was performed in 58 patients. Basic demographic and clinical data were comparable in both groups. Lesions included in ELCA group were longer (17.1 +/-9.9 vs 13.6 +/-9.1 mm; p=0.034), more complex (36.5% type C stenoses vs 14.3%; p=0.006), and more frequently had reduced distal blood flow (TIMI <3: 18.9% vs 4.8%; p=0.025) compared to lesions in the PTCA group. Immediate angiographic results of PTCA and ELCA + PTCA appeared to be comparable. PTCA alone was successful in 57 patients (98.3%), ELCA + PTCA, in 66 patients (98.5%). The rates of hospital complications were comparable (3.0% in ELCA group vs 8.6% in PTCA group). The 1-year follow-up showed that the rates of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were comparable in the 2 groups (37.3% in ELCA group vs 46.6% in PTCA group). The rates of target vessel revascularization (TVR) within 1 year after the intervention were also similar in the 2 groups (32.8% vs 34.5%). The data mean that ELCA in patients with complex ISR is efficient and safe. Despite a higher complexity of lesions in the ELCA group, no increase in the rate of complications was registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the importance of serum prolactin (PRL) in the detection of pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) in children with multiple pituitary hormone deficiency (MPHD). We hypothesized that PRL elevation might be a diagnostic indicator of pituitary stalk pathologies., Methods: Clinical, radiological, and laboratory features of the 50 cases of MPHD were studied., Results: The median age at presentation of the 50 cases (52%, n=26 were female) was 6.61 (0.02-18.9) years. PSIS was detected in 60% (n=30), pituitary hypoplasia in 32% (n=16), partial empty sella in 6% (n=3), and only 2% (n=1) was reported as normal. Out of 50 patients, 21.3% (n=10) were hypoprolactinemic, 44.7% (n=19) were normoprolactinemic, and 34% (n=16) were hyperprolactinemic. The median PRL value was 27.85 (4.21-130) ng/mL in patients with PSIS and 5.57 (0-41.8) ng/mL in patients without PSIS. Additional hormone deficiencies, especially ACTH and LH were detected in follow-up., Conclusions: Patients with normal or high prolactin levels deserve special attention regarding the possibility of PSIS. Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of regular follow-up and monitoring for multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies in all patients with a single pituitary hormone deficiency., (© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

In this research, gold-nicel supported on activated carbon (AC) nanoadsorbent (AuNi@AC) synthesized by following a series of physicochemical procedures was prepared for the removal of Maxilon Blue 5G (MB) which is a cationic textile dye. Experimental studies based on parameters specifically pH, contact time, nano catalytic adsorbent particle, initial MB dye concentration and temperature effect were conducted in aqueous solutions in a batch system. AuNi@AC nanoadsorbents (NAs) reached the equilibrium in 30 min under optimum conditions in adsorption of the dye. The pseudo-first, second-order, and intra-particle diffusion models were tested to evaluate a the experimental results. Adsorption kinetics were found to be represented by the pseudo-second-order model, and the maximum adsorption capacity (q max.) was calculated to be 542.90 mg/g (or 2.041 mmol/g). The synthesized magnetic AuNi@AC nanoadsorbent showed a high-efficiency reusability effect of about 64% after five reuse runs. Also, thermodynamic function parameters such as activation energy (Ea), Gibbs free energy (ΔG *), and entropy (ΔS *) were investigated in the sorption study. After all evaluation of data, it was concluded that the novel AuNi@AC nanoadsorbent could be considered as an effective support material for the removal of various organic pollutants in aquation solution especially for the removal of MB., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: It was aimed to investigate the efficiency and reliability of the manual detorsion (MD) procedure in patients diagnosed with testicular torsion (TT)., Methods: A retrospective analysis was made of the data of 57 patients diagnosed with TT, comprising 20 patients with successful MD (Group I), 28 patients who underwent emergency orchiopexy (Group II), and 9 patients applied with orchiectomy (Group III). The groups were compared in respect of age, and duration of pain. The success rate of MD, the time of testicular fixation (TF), any problems encountered in follow-up, and follow-up times were analyzed in Group I. Data were analyzed with P-P pilot, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis and Chi-square tests. A value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: MD was successful and detorsion could be achieved in 20 of 26 patients. The groups were similar in respect of age (p = 0.217). The median duration of pain was 3 (1-8), 4 (1-72), and 48 (12-144) hours in Groups I, II, and III, respectively, and determined as similar in Groups I and II (p = 0.257), although a statistically significant difference was determined between the 3 groups (p < 0.001). TF was applied to Group I after median 10 (0-45) days, and no parenchymal disorder was determined in the median follow-up period of 21.5 (2-40) months., Conclusion: MD that can be easily and immediately performed after the diagnosis of TT decreases ischemia time. This seems to be an efficient and reliable procedure when applied together with elective orchiopexy, as a part of the treatment.

Mean platelet volume (MPV) has been reported to be related to inflammation. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the prostate, and this protein may be elevated for several reasons, including prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and/or cancer. The aim of the current study was to investigate the predictive effect of MPV values on nonsymptomatic prostatitis diagnosis and the relation between MPV and PSA. A total of 275 patients, 89 affected by benign prostate hyperplasia, 94 by prostate adenocancer, and 92 by prostatitis were included in the current study. PSA, total blood count parameters, and urine analysis were investigated. Findings were compared with the groups. The correlation between MPV and the other parameters were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine independent predictors of nonsymptomatic prostatitis diagnosis. MPV was significantly higher in patients with nonsymptomatic prostatitis than the other groups. There were negative correlations between MPV and age, total PSA or free PSA ( r = -.123; p = .042, r = -.235; p < .001, r = -.184; p = .006, respectively). According to multivariate regression model, only MPV was identified as the predictive factor for nonsymptomatic prostatitis (odds ratio: 1.451, 95% confidence interval [1.116, 1.887], p = .005). MPV, in the absence of other reasons that increased the MPV level, was significantly increased in cases with nonsymptomatic prostatitis; this increase is significantly higher than elevated PSA level in nonsymptomatic prostatitis patients. MPV could have a predictive value for the diagnosis of nonsymptomatic prostatitis.

Background: More than one third of all lawsuits against surgeons include statements of insufficient or lacking preoperative informed consent which is mandatory in the german jurisprudence. Almost nothing is known about the postoperative patient's memory of risk factors which were explained prior to typical surgical procedures in ENT., Methods: The objectives of this prospective study in 201 patients were to elucidate the actual clinical routine of obtaining informed consent for tympanoplasty (n=105) and FESS procedures (n=89), collect information on active and passive recall 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year post-operatively, and to investigate whether patient age, sex, education, the time from obtaining consent to interview, recurrent vs. non-recurrent procedures, would influence the patient's recall capabilities., Results: In clinical routine, obtaining informed consent included 5 main items for tympanoplasty and 5 for FESS procedures made by the physician. Of the patients, 18.9% recalled actively and 65.3% passively. They named 1.5 items on average, with "deafness" as the leading complication in tympanoplasty and "amaurosis" in FESS procedures. Patient's memory was depending on the time from obtaining consent to interview and education exclusively., Conclusion: In conclusion, the quantity of patient/physician interaction does not guarantee an increased effect on patient's recall. Improving patient interaction may reduce the probability of imminent accusations.

The authors investigated the incidence of, diagnostic methods for, and treatment strategies for iatrogenic femoral pseudoaneurysms in their hospital and compared the results with those in the literature. The hospital records of 25,273 patients who had coronary or peripheral angiography and angioplasty in Sani Konukoglu Medical Center from September 1997 to December 2002 were collected retrospectively. All the complications were detected and femoral pseudoaneurysm cases were selected. Diagnostic criteria and treatment strategy were documented. All results were compared with the literature. Femoral pseudoaneurysm was the second in number of complications and bleeding the first. Twenty-eight patients with pseudoaneurysm were diagnosed with color Doppler ultrasound (US) imaging (0.11%). Eleven of these closed spontaneously within 3-7 days. Image-guided compression therapy was applied to the remaining 17 and was effective in 10. The remaining 7 patients were operated on successfully. In this series the incidence of iatrogenic femoral pseudoaneurysm was comparable with the literature (0.02%-2%). Color Doppler US is the best diagnostic tool for this complication, and no other method was necessary. Eleven cases of spontaneous closure may show a rather benign prognosis, but close follow-up is advised. Image-guided compression is also an effective and noninvasive method of therapy for this complication. In late cases with a thick neck, surgery should be done immediately. It is easy to prevent rather than treat this complication. The similar incidence in the literature and in this series shows that a number of complications are to be expected, and so prompt and early diagnosis and effective treatment are very important. Application of good external compression after catheterization, selecting the thinnest introducer, use of B-mode and color Doppler US imaging for suspected cases, and image-guided compression therapy are also effective in early cases with a thin neck of the aneurysm.

We attempted to evaluate nonsurgical methods of treating postcatheterization iatrogenic femoral pseudoaneurysms at our hospital and compared the results with those in the literature. The hospital records of 25 273 patients who underwent femoral catheterization at our institution from September 1997 to December 2002 were collected retrospectively. All complications were detected and femoral pseudoaneurysm cases were selected. Diagnostic criteria and treatment strategy were documented. All results were compared with those in the literature. Twenty-eight patients were diagnosed as having a pseudoaneurysm (0.11%). In 11 patients the pseudoaneurysms closed by themselves within 3-7 days. Ultrasound-guided compression therapy was applied to the remaining 17 and was effective in 10 of them. The last 7 patients were operated on with success. Ultrasound-guided compression is also an effective and noninvasive method of therapy for femoral pseudoaneurysms. Surgical therapy can be reserved for progressive and complicated lesions.

Background: Although balloon angioplasty and stenting are effective in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (M1), reduced coronary flow and distal embolization frequently complicate interventions when thrombus is present. Adjunctive treatment with mechanical thrombectomy devices was suggested to reduce these complications., Methods: We evaluated immediate angiographic, in-hospital and 30-day follow-up clinical outcomes of 185 patients with acute MI and angiographically evident thrombus who were treated with AngioJet rheolytic thrombectomy followed by immediate definitive treatment., Results: Procedural success (residual diameter stenosis <50% and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction [TIMI] flow >2 after final treatment) was 97%. Rheolytic thrombectomy success was achieved in 7% of patients. Subsequent definitive treatment included stenting in 67% and balloon angioplasty alone in 26% of patients. Final TIMI 3 flow was achieved in 89%. AngioJet treatment resulted in mean thrombus area reduction from 69.6 mm(2) at baseline to 17.3 mm(2) post-thrombectomy (p<0.001). Procedural complications included distal embolization (7.6%) and perforation (1.1%). Clinical success (procedure success without major in-hospital cardiac events) rate was 88%, in-hospital mortality - 7.0%. There were no further major adverse events during 30-day follow-up., Conclusion: Rheolytic thrombectomy can be performed safely and effectively in patients with acute MI, allowing for immediate definitive treatment of thrombus-containing lesions.