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This research examines the effect of an online physical fitness intervention plan on health-related components, and self-perception with randomized controlled trial. A total of 43 individuals completed the study, 21 of them were in the experimental group, and 22 were in the control group. Muscle strength was assessed using push-ups and sit-ups, while flexibility was determined through sit-and-reach tests. Fat and muscle mass in the arms, legs, trunk, android, gynoid regions, and total body were measured in grams by using Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry. Health, body fat, strength, flexibility, endurance sub-dimensions of Marsh Physical Self-Description Inventory was used for self-perception. Results showed that group and time interaction had a significant effect on self-perception of body fat and push-ups, flexibility left and right, total fat, body fat mass in the arm, leg, and gynoid regions. Although the muscle mass of the experimental group increased in the 8-week period, this situation was not statistically significant. The implemented physical fitness intervention program has a significant impact, particularly in terms of fat burning. The findings obtained in strength tests can be associated with a decrease in fat mass, especially in the upper body. In conclusion, these findings underscore the potential of online fitness interventions in achieving positive health outcomes, emphasizing the multifaceted benefits of such programs on both perceived and measured physical well-being.

Abstract Differentiation between leukocyte subtypes like monocytes and lymphocytes is essential for cell therapy and research applications. To guarantee the cost-effective delivery of functional cells in cell therapies, billions of cells must be processed in a limited time. Yet, the sorting rates of commercial cell sorters are not high enough to reach the required yield. Process parallelization by using multiple instruments increases variability and production cost. A compact solution with higher throughput can be provided by multichannel flow cytometers combining fluidics and optics on-chip. In this work, we present a micro-flow cytometer with monolithically integrated photonics and fluidics and demonstrate that both the illumination of cells, as well as the collection of scattered light, can be realized using photonic integrated circuits. Our device is the first with sufficient resolution for the discrimination of lymphocytes and monocytes. Innovations in microfabrication have enabled complete integration of miniaturized photonic components and fluidics in a CMOS-compatible wafer stack. In combination with external optics, the device is ready for the collection of fluorescence using the on-chip excitation.

Background: Disasters cause significant material and spiritual destruction within communities, resulting in significant damage to societal structures. Objective: This study aims to assess disaster awareness and attitudes toward disasters among emergency and disaster management students. Materials and Methods: This study included undergraduate students enrolled in the Department of Emergency and Disaster Management during the 2022–2023 academic year. A total of 85 students participated in this study and were contacted via an online Google form to assess their disaster awareness and attitudes toward disasters. The survey, consisting of a total of 23 items, was designed to assess participants’ cognitive, affective, and behavioral characteristics. Results: The study included 85 participants studying in the Emergency and Disaster Management department. Females made up 64.7% of the participants. The mean score of the responses given in the cognitive subfactor was 2.69 ± 0.56, the mean score of the responses given in the affective subfactor was 3.13 ± 0.47, and the mean score of the responses given in the behavioral subfactor was 2.67 ± 0.76. Conclusion: Having previously experienced a disaster, being male, belonging to a higher socio-economic class, and being older increase the average Disaster Attitude Scale score, and the increase in the average score indicates an increase in disaster awareness.

Background: Renal colic is a frequently encountered condition in the emergency department (ED), characterized by the sudden and severe onset of flank pain. To assess the risk of cardiac arrhythmia in patients with renal colic, electrocardiography (ECG) was used to investigate several ventricular arrhythmia characteristics, such as the Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT ratio, and Tp-e/QTc ratio.Objective: This study aimed to investigate the role of the Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT ratio, and Tp-e/QTc ratio as cardiac arrhythmia stimulators in patients with renal colic. By evaluating these parameters, the risk of developing cardiac arrhythmia in individuals with renal colic could be better understood.Methods: The study included patients who presented to the tertiary emergency department with renal colic over a period of six months, from June 10, 2022, to December 31, 2022. Upon admission, all patients underwent an ECG, and measurements of QT interval and Tp-e interval were conducted in leads D2 and V5. These measurements served as indicators for assessing the potential risk of cardiac arrhythmia in patients with renal colic.Results: The levels of D2 TPE were significantly elevated in patients experiencing renal colic attacks compared to both the pain-free period and the control group (p=0.036). Additionally, the levels of D2 Tpe and QTc were significantly higher during the renal colic attack period as well as the pain-free period when compared to the control group (p=0.041).Conclusions: The Tp-e interval, Tp-e/QT ratio, and Tp-e/QTc ratio may potentially be associated with fatal ventricular arrhythmias in patients who present to emergency departments with renal colic pain.

Aim: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a disease with inflammation, and patients present with severe acute upper abdominal pain in emergency departments. AP can result in higher mortality as its clinical severity increases. Therefore, in this study, we want to investigate the clinical utility of the systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in showing the severity of AP. Material and methods: Among the patients admitted to our emergency department between January 2020 and December 2022, 201 patients diagnosed with AP were included in the study. These patients were divided into two groups according to the severity of the disease as mild and severe AP (MAP and SAP). Demographic data and laboratory data of the patients (white blood cell count, such as SIRI, SII and C-reactive protein, SIRI, SII and C-reactive protein) were recorded. Differences between groups of AP patients divided according to disease severity were analyzed. Results: 165 (82.1%) patients had MAP and 36 (17.9%) patients had SAP. 52.8% of the patients were male. The mean of the SAP group was significantly higher than the SII MAP group (3165.71±3058.42 vs.1043.31±849.15; p Conclusion: High SII and SIRI are useful markers that can show the severity of AP. Key words: acute pancreatitis severity, SII, SIRI, biomarker

Abstract Background Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) is a degenerative disease and manifests itself with pain and limitation of movement in the jaws. Arthrocentesis alone or in combination with intraarticular injections is one of the most commonly used treatment methods in these patients. The aim of the study is to examine the effectiveness of arthrocentesis plus tenoxicam injection and to compare it with arthrocentesis alone in patients with TMJ-OA. Methods Thirty patients with TMJ-OA who were treated randomly with either arthrocentesis plus tenoxicam injection (TX group) or arthrocentesis alone (control group) were examined. Maximum mouth opening (MMO), visual analog scale (VAS) pain values, and joint sounds were the outcome variables, which were evaluated at pre-treatment and at 1, 4, 12, and 24 weeks after treatment. Statistical significance was set at p

Background: Pneumothorax (PNX) is the presence of air between the parietal and visceral pleura and secondary lung collapse. This study aimed to analyze the demographic analysis of patients who applied to the emergency department and were found to have spontaneous PNX and to investigate the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: Patients diagnosed with spontaneous PNX and admitted to the emergency department between January 01, 2020 and August 01, 2022 were analyzed. The hospital data processing system examined the patient's vital signs, the complaint of admission to the emergency department, chronic diseases, imaging method, the treatment applied, outcome, and the presence of past COVID-19 diagnosis. Results: Of the patients who developed spontaneous PNX, 87.5% (n = 105) were male. The most common comorbid disease observed in patients is hypertension (23.3%), and 10.8% of patients have a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ten percent of the patients have a history of PNX, and 15% have a history of previous thoracic surgery for various reasons. 6.7% of the patients had COVID-19 infection. Conclusion: PNX is a disease that all physicians can encounter and require urgent intervention, and it is important to know both the treatment options and the factors associated with the disease.

Objective: To investigate the value of systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in predicating acute appendicitis complications based on hemogram parameters. Methods: Demographic data, histopathological studies, and laboratory results of the patients who were admitted to the emergency department with a complaint of abdominal pain between January 2020 and June 2022 and were hospitalized with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis for operation by general surgery were examined. Simple appendicitis and complicated appendicitis groups were compared in terms of parameters according to their histopathological examinations. Results: A total of 220 patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in our study. Mean SIRI levels were found to be significantly higher in the complicated appendicitis group than in the simple appendicitis group [6.60 (4.07, 14.40) vs. 3.50 (2.20, 6.80); P=0.002]. Similarly, SII levels were found to be significantly higher in the complicated appendicitis group compared to the simple appendicitis group [2 514.50 (1 132.25, 5 388.00) vs. 1 207.00 (571.50, 2 089.00), P

Background/objective: The holistic concept of physical literacy (PL) embraces different person-centered qualities (physical, cognitive, affective/psychological) necessary to lead physically active lifestyles. PL has recently gained increasing attention globally and Europe is no exception. However, scientific endeavors summarizing the current state of PL in Europe are lacking. Therefore, the goal of this study was to comprehensively assess and compare the implementation of PL in research, policy, and practice across the continent. Methods: We assembled a panel of experts representing 25 European countries. Employing a complementary mixed-methods design, the experts first prepared reviews about the current state of PL in their countries (categories: research, practice/policy). The reviews underwent comparative document analysis, ensuring a transnational four-eyes principle. For re-validation purposes, the representatives completed a quantitative survey with questions reflecting the inductive themes from the document analysis. Results: The document analysis resulted in ten disjunct themes (related to “concept”, “research”, “practice/policy”, “future/prospect”) and yielded a heterogenous PL situation in Europe. The implementation state was strongly linked to conceptual discussions (e.g., existence of competing approaches), linguistic issues (e.g., translations), and country-specific traditions. Despite growing scholarly attention, PL hesitantly permeates practice and policy in most countries. Nevertheless, the experts largely anticipate increasing popularity of PL for the future. Conclusion: Despite the heterogeneous situation across Europe, the analysis has uncovered similarities among the countries, such as the presence of established yet not identical concepts. Research should intensify academic activities (conceptual-linguistic elaborations, empirical work) before PL may gain further access into practical and political spheres in the long term.

Aim: The use of the right to die in the center of the individual's own decision is called euthanasia. This decision, was evaluated from legal, religious, and medical perspectives. In different countries applied euthanasia, which can be performed actively or passively. In our study, we planned to investigate the perspectives of healthcare professionals working in the emergency department about euthanasia and their thoughts on diseases that can be applied to euthanasia. Material and methods: A survey was conducted from June to October 2022 on non-physician health workers working in the Emergency department. A questionnaire including demographic data, professional knowledge, and Attitude Scale towards Euthanasia, Death, and the Terminally Patient was administered to the healthcare professionals who agreed to participate in the study. The obtained data were analyzed. Results: In the study, the feedback of 60 participants, 37 of whom were women, was evaluated. The mean age of the entrants was found to be 39.07±10.11 years. 60% of the participants had received cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in the past year. 70% of the participants stated that they could be euthanized for coma, 38.33% for severe disability, and 36.67% for severe and incurable neurological diseases. Conclusion: In the process of euthanasia, which does not have a legal infrastructure in our country, different perspectives are seen from different departments of health services. Key words: emergency department, euthanasia, non-health workers

The use of drugs that have been previously defined for certain indications in new indications is defined as the repurposing/repositioning of the drug. The requirement of all clinical research steps that starts from healthy volunteers, due to the slowness of new drug discovery, longer time to reach the market, and high cost to develop a new drug, make drug repurposing an attractive pharmacoeconomic solution. Repositioning of drugs becomes even more important, especially in situations where time is vital and emergency in drug development such as pandemics. In this review, we have both summarized the techniques used for drug repositioning and evaluated drugs that have been repositioned in Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) treatment based on three main strategies, target-disease and drug-based. Considering the availability of the results of pharmacovigilance studies and long-term toxic effects of old drugs provide an important advantage compared to traditional drug discovery in COVID-19 treatment, where sepsis and multi-organ dysfunction can occur.

Amaç: Temporomandibular eklem düzensizliği bulunan hastalarda temporomandibular eklem, çiğneme kasları ve ilişkili olduğu yapılarda çeşitli semptomlara sebep olabilmektedir. Yakın komşulukta olduğu yapılardan olan kulakta kulak ağrısı, kulak çınlaması, kulakta dolgunluk hissi, kulak kaşıntısı, işitmede azalma, baş dönmesi, denge kaybı gibi semptomlara neden olabilmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Temporomandibular eklem düzensizliğine eşlik eden kulak semptomları prevelansının değerlendirilmesidir. Gereç ve Yöntemler:Retrospektif çalışma Ocak 2017-Aralık 2017 tarihleri arasında Adıyaman Üniversitesi Diş Hekimliği Fakültesi Ağız, Diş ve Çene Cerrahisi AD’na TME bölgesinde ağrı ve/veya disfonksiyon şikayeti ile başvuran 214 hasta ile planlandı. Hastaların seçimi TMD/ATK’ye göre yapıldı. TMD teşhisi konan hastalarda kulak ağrısı, kulak çınlaması, kulakta dolgunluk hissi, kulak kaşıntısı, işitmede azalma, baş dönmesi, denge kaybı semptomlarının varlığı araştırıldı. Hastalara kulak semptomlarını var veya yok şeklinde değerlendirebilecekleri formlar dolduruldu. Semptomların şiddeti ile bilgi edinilmedi. Bulgular:214 TMD hastasının 65’inde kulak semptomuna rastlanmadı. 149 hastada ise en az bir kulak semptomu gözlendi. 149 hastanın 117’sinde kulak ağrısı (%78.5), 77’sinde kulak çınlaması (%51.7), 56’sında kulakta dolgunluk hissi (%37.6), 50’sinde kulak kaşıntısı (%33.6), 3’ünde işitmede azalma (%2), 61’inde baş dönmesi (%40.9) ve 50’sinde denge kaybı (%33.6) tespit edildi. 149 hastanın 120’i kadın (% 80.5), 29’i erkektir. (%19.5)Sonuçlar:TMD’ye kulak semptomları arasında en fazla kulak ağrısı, ikinci sırada kulak çınlaması ve en az ise işitmede azalma eşlik etmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler:TMD, kulak semptomları, kulak ağrısı, kulak çınlaması

Objectives: Clinical findings of elongated styloid process (SP) can easily be confused with clinical symptoms associated with temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). This study aims to investigate the presence of elongated SP in patients with TMD.Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was performed on the digital panoramic radiographs of 300 patients between 14-68 years of age, where the study group consisted of 150 (300 SP) patients diagnosed with TMD and the control group consisted of 150 (300 SP) individuals without TMD. 224 of the patients were female and 76 were male. SP measurement was performed by a physician with radiography experience. The measurement values higher than 30 mm were accepted as elongated SP.Results: There was a significant difference between the TMD group and the control group in terms of SP length (p

In this study, 5 urban and 2 industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were investigated. Raw wastewaters and effluents of WWTPs were characterized in terms of both organic and inorganic pollutants and antibiotic residues. According to the analysis results; organic pollutants for raw wastewaters and influents in urban WWTP were measured between 412 and 921 ​mg ​L−1 for COD, 345–421 ​mg ​L−1 for TOC, 61–160 ​mg ​L−1 for COD, 48–83 ​mg ​L−1 for TOC, respectively. However, in industrial WWTPs, these values were determined in raw wastewaters between 1404 and 2367 ​mg ​L−1 for COD, 821–826 ​mg ​L−1 for TOC and in effluents between 272 and 408 ​mg ​L−1 for COD and 97–208 ​mg ​L−1 for TOC, respectively.In addition, in the characterization study of antibiotic residues by the results of HPLC/MS-MS measurements, the amounts of Ciprofloxacin (from the fluoroquinolones), Erythromycin (from the macrolides group) and Sulfamethoxasol (from the sulfonamide group), which are one of the three main groups of antibiotics in the waste water samples, were found in high amounts in both urban and industrial WWTPs despite the biological treatment process. More antibiotic residues (Erythromycin-ERY, Ciprofloxacin-CIP and Sulfamethoxasol-SMX) were detected in untreated raw wastewater compared to effluent wastewater. While CIP antibiotic was not found only one urban WWTP, the highest amounts in the effluents of 4 urban WWTPs were measured between 13,800 ​ng ​L−1 and 38,800 ​ng ​L−1. Moreover, ERY is only detected in high amount in one urban WWTP raw and effluent wastewater as 23,100 ​ng ​L−1 and 5430 ​ng ​L−1, respectively. The SMX was detected in 2 separates urban WWTPs at a value of 19,700 ​ng ​L−1 in the raw wastewater sample and at a value 10,100 ​ng ​L−1 in effluent sample of another urban WWTP. Antibiotic residue removal ratios after Advanced Oxidation Process using specially prepared NFC-doped TiO2 photocatalyst immobilized on polystyrene (PS) cup inner surface at amount 0.45 ​g were determined as 97%–~100% for CIP, 100% for ERY, 86%–~100% for SMX, 57%–64% for COD and 61,5%–72% for TOC, respectively.According to the above mentioned results, this study proved that photocatalytic oxidation processes performed under visible light with a specially prepared immobilized form (PS/Cup–NFC–0.45 ​g) photocatalyst provide higher antibiotic removal from both urban and industrial wastewater. Thus, these results showed us that if the application of NFC-doped Titania, immobilized on polystyrene, can be integrated with an appropriate reactor design on the real/pilot scale, this technology can be proposed as an efficient technology for sustainable environment.

Background: Physical activity participation (PAP) has been proven to improve health and promote optimal growth among adolescents. However, most adolescents do not meet the current physical activity (PA) recommendations in Turkey. The role of the social environment and social factors on PAP is being increasingly recognized. Although social capital (SC) indicators have been examined in high-income countries, there are few studies on developing countries. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between SC indicators and PAP among Turkish adolescents. Methods: A survey was conducted among 19 high schools in 4 different cities in Turkey in 2016. A total of 506 female and 729 male high school students participated in this study. The dependent variable was overall PAP, which was measured using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The independent variables included self-perceived family, neighborhood, and school SC. Self-rated health and obesity status, measured by body mass index, were other study covariates in multiple binary logistic regression models. Chi-square tests were used to assess the differences between genders. Results: PAP levels were significantly different between males and females. A higher percentage of males reported PAP (77.4%) compared to females (51.0%). Among males, teacher–student interpersonal trust and informal social control were inversely associated with PAP, while high students interpersonal trust was positively associated with increased odds of PAP. For females, students interpersonal trust was inversely associated with PAP. Conclusion: Various SC indicators are associated with PAP for males and females. These associations are different from findings of studies conducted in developed countries. Therefore, health-promotion interventions and policies should consider gender and different social agents on the social and cultural background to improve PAP among Turkish adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to investigate attitudes of pre-service teachers toward the teaching profession with respect to their gender, grade level, whether participants regularly participate in physical activities, and whether pre-service students have a teacher-parent in their family. Research was conducted on 469 pre-service physical education teachers (Mage=21.35, SDage= 2.49), 188 female (Mage=20.89, SDage= 2.30) and 281 male (Mage=21.66, SDage= 2.57) students from five different universities in Turkey. In this study the “Attitude Scale for the Profession of Physical Education Teaching” was used. It has two factors: “concern for profession” (CP) and “affection for profession” (AP). Independent sample t-test results indicated that there were no significant differences with respect to gender or having a teacher-parent in both factors and total attitude points (p> 0.05). Pre-service physical education teachers who participate in physical activity had significantly higher points in AP and the total scale in comparison to those who do not participate in physical activity (p< 0.05). ANOVA results indicated that based on grade level there were significant differences in CP and total attitude (p< 0.05). Students’ concern about employment may be associated with differences in attitude scores between grade levels. The positive effect of physical activity participation and their professional teaching education on stress resilience might also be an important factor for increasing positive attitudes toward the teaching profession.

Objectives: We aimed to compare the performance of the C-MAC video laryngoscope (C-MAC) to the Macintosh laryngoscope for intubation of blunt trauma patients in the ED. Material and methods: This was a prospective randomized study. The primary outcome measure is overall successful intubation. Secondary outcome measures are first attempt successful intubation, Cormack–Lehane (CL) grade, and indicators of the reasons for unsuccessful intubation at the first attempt with each device. Adult patients who suffered from blunt trauma and required intubation were randomized to video laryngoscopy with C-MAC device or direct laryngoscopy (DL). Results: During a 17-month period, a total of 150 trauma intubations were performed using a C-MAC and DL. Baseline characteristics of patients were similar between the C-MAC and DL group. Overall success for the C-MAC was 69/75 (92%, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.96) while for the DL it was 72/75 (96%, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.98). First attempt success for the C-MAC was 47/75 (62.7%, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.72) while for the DL it was 44/75 patients (58.7%, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.69). The mean time to achieve successful intubation was 33.4 ± 2.5 s for the C-MAC versus 42.4 ± 5.1 s for the DL (p = 0.93). There was a statistically significant difference between the DL and C-MAC in terms of visualizing the glottic opening and esophageal intubation in favor of the C-MAC (p = 0.002 and p = 0.013 respectively). Discussion and conclusion: The overall success rates were similar. The C-MAC demonstrated improved glottic view and decrease in esophageal intubation rate. Keywords: Airway management, Emergency medicine, Video laryngoscope

SUMMARY: Objectives: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is associated with high mortality and morbidity and is projected to be the third most common cause of death worldwide by 2020. For a variety of reasons, there is a drive to manage a greater number of individuals as outpatients. Preventing readmissions can reduce associated morbidity and subsequent healthcare costs. Methods: The aim of the present study was to determine the factors affecting the relapse of COPD exacerbated patients in the emergency department (ED). This study combines data from two prospective cohort studies. Patients included in the study were above 18 years of age, had a previous diagnosis of COPD, and presented to the ED for the treatment of acute exacerbation. All the information relevant to the study was collected during the patient's visit to the ED. Relapse was defined as an unscheduled visit to an ED or primary physician within 2 weeks of initial ED visit for worsening COPD symptoms. Telephone follow-up was done on all patients at the end of 2 weeks. Results: The cohort consists of 196 patients. Relapse rate in this study was 27%. Mean respiratory rate, exacerbations in previous year, home nebulizator therapy, home oxygen therapy, admission to intensive care or hospital ward due to COPD exacerbation, previous intubation and abnormal chest x-ray were associated with increased re-visit in univariate analysis. However, after multivariate analysis, exacerbations in previous year (OR: 1.08, 95%CI: 1.01–1.15) and abnormal chest X-ray (OR: 2.5, 95%CI: 1.10–6.11) were still significant. Conclusions: In conclusion, the number of ED visits previous year and abnormal chest x-ray can predict the revisit of a COPD exacerbated patient within 14 days of an ED visit. Key words: Emergency medicine, COPD, relapse

To report a probable interaction between meropenem and antiepileptic drugs that resulted in poor control of epileptic seizures. A previously healthy 21 years old woman admitted to emergency department with fever and stiff neck. Her Glasgow Coma Scale score was E3M5V4. Physical examination revealed conscious to tend to fall asleep, closed eyes and normal-sized and reactive pupils. Meropenem and vancomycin were initiated for the suspicion of menengitis. On the 3rd day of the antibiotic therapy generalized tonic clonic seizures were observed. Phenytoin and intravenous (IV) thiopental were initiated. The patient was intubated and mechanically ventilated. EEG revealed generalized epileptiform activity. In the following days, seizure activity continued. Levetirasetam, carbamazepine and VPA were added for treatment respectively, but seizures were continued. On the 20th day of meropenem therapy, interaction of carbapenems and anti-epileptic agents was suspected. Antibiotherapy was discontinued. Serum concentrations of VPA increased over the next days and achieved therapeutic levels. On day 21 she was extubated, no seizures occurred over the following 48 hours. She was discharged from the ICU, with blood anti epileptic concentrations within the therapeutic range. Carbapenems have a potential effect of inducing seizures and may also lower serum levels of antiepileptic drugs. Clinicians should be aware of this potential interaction that may be associated with serious adverse effects. Status epilepticus is one of the most important neurologic emergencies, and therapeutic control becomes more difficult as its duration becomes longer. Patients receiving antiepileptics and carbapenem group antibiotics concominantly should be closely monitored due to possible drug interaction between these agents.

Abstract Background Facial prostheses are intended to provide a non-operative rehabilitation for patients with acquired facial defects. By improving aesthetics and quality of life (QOL), this treatment involves reintegration of the patient into family and social life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of QOL in adult patients with facial prostheses and to compare this perception with that of a control group. Methods The study participants consisted of 72 patients, who were divided into three equal-sized groups according to the type of prosthesis (OP- orbital prosthesis, AP- auricular prosthesis, NP - nasal prosthesis) and 24 healthy control participants without any congenital or acquired deformity of face or body. Clinical and socio-demographic data were gathered from each person’s medical chart. Participants completed the Turkish version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument, Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF). Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, Pearson's chi-square test, ANOVA, ANCOVA, and Pearson correlation were used to analyse the data. Results Compared with the control participants, patients with NP scored lower on the all domains of QOL and all three patient groups had lower scores on overall QOL and its domains of physical and environmental health. Patients with OP reported significantly lower physical health scores than those with AP, while patients with NP reported significantly lower overall QOL and psychological health scores than those with AP. Female patients had lower environmental domain scores than did male patients. The patient’s age and income correlated with social relationships QOL, while the patient’s income and the age of facial prosthesis were correlated with environmental QOL. Conclusion Patients with facial prostheses had lower scores in overall QOL, physical and environmental health domains than the control participants. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics such as age, gender, income, localization of the defect, and age of facial prosthesis were associated with patients’ QOL. These findings may provide valuable information about the specific health needs of these patients that may affect their well-being. Further studies are needed to confirm these results. Use of the WHOQOL-BREF may provide valuable information for determining patients’ needs and priorities as well as for planning and developing comprehensive prosthetic rehabilitation programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic, with its far-reaching influence on daily life, constituted a highly stressful experience for many people worldwide, jeopardizing individuals' mental health, particularly in vulnerable populations such as pregnant women. While a growing body of evidence links prenatal maternal stress to biological and developmental alterations in offspring, the specific impact of prenatal exposure to maternal pandemic-related stress (PRS) on infant development remains unclear. A comprehensive literature search was performed in October 2023 according to the PRISMA guidelines, which yielded a total of 28 records. The selected papers investigated a vast range of developmental and biological outcomes in the offspring with large methodological variations. The reviewed studies showed mixed results. Either direct associations between maternal PRS during pregnancy and infant temperament and socio-emotional development, or indirect links, mediated by maternal mental health, emerged in most studies. Furthermore, maternal PRS was associated with epigenetic and brain alterations in the offspring, although studies were limited in number. Collectively, the reviewed findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of early adverse exposures on infant development., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: The gag reflex is a frequent problem occurring during dental treatment procedures, especially while making impressions of the maxillary teeth. The present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a simple earplug as an external auditory canal stimulator to supress the profound gag reflex and as a second step, to map areas of the oropharynx suppressed by this technique., Methods: In the first step of the study, 90 patients who had a gag reflex during the impression procedure were allocated to a study group, a sham group, and a control group for evaluating the efficacy of the earplug technique. Second, 20 new patients with a gag reflex were included in order to map the oropharnygeal areas suppressed by this technique., Results: The severity of the gag reflex was reduced in the earplug group (but not in the sham or the control group). The affected area included the hard palate, uvula, and the tongue but not the posterior wall of oropharynx., Conclusion: An earplug technique can be a useful, practical, and effective tool to overcome the gag reflex during oral procedures, such as impression procedures of maxillary teeth.

Objectives : Cleft palate is a common congenital maxillofacial defect. We wish to present the fabrication of a modified feeding plate that will adapt to the changing palatal and velopharyngeal morphology during function. Case Report : A neonate with unilateral cleft lip and palate was referred to our clinic for the fabrication of a feeding plate. Intraoral examination revealed a cleft involving the uvula and the soft palate, with an alveolar defect on the left side. An impression was taken and a dental cast was obtained. A 1-mm Bioplast clear soft plate was pressed on the model. After trimming the edges of the plate, several retentive holes were made for its attachment to the hard plate. With the Bioplast soft plate replaced on the cast, plaster was used to cover parts of the soft plate that were not to come in contact with the hard plate. Biocryl resin was put on the retentive holes and 2-mm Biocryl C Rosa-transparent plate was pressed. The edges of the plate were cut, trimmed, and polished. Conclusion : This modified feeding plate effectively obstructed the soft palate defect. The adaptation of the flexible bulb of the appliance with the soft palate was excellent. Evaluation with nasoendoscopy revealed the synchronized movement of the bulb of the appliance with the soft palate during swallowing. Soft extension of the feeding plate eliminated the risk of irritation, and the baby accepted the appliance easily.