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Background/aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of PET Vascular Activity Score (PETVAS) during the follow-up of patients with Takayasu arteritis. Materials and methods Takayasu arteritis patients who underwent 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET imaging were evaluated retrospectively. In 8 patients both 1 and 2-hour imagings were also performed prospectively. For PETVAS, 9 arterial areas were scored between 0-3 according to the FDG uptake. Results Forty-six images of 34 patients were evaluated. PETVAS was higher in patients with clinically active disease (p=0.03) and in C-reactive protein (CRP) elevated group among clinically inactive patients (p=0.0015). PETVAS correlated with CRP (p=0.003, r=0.53) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p=0.005, r=0.41), whereas age, disease duration, immunosuppressive and glucocorticoid (GC) treatments were not associated with PETVAS. First vs 2nd-hour PETVAS was similar in patients who had both 1st and 2nd hour PET scans (p=0.67). Conclusion We observed higher PETVAS in patients with active disease and elevated acute phase reactants. Although scores in our study (performed at one-hour) were lower compared to the original PETVAS study performed at two hours, PETVAS seems to be a reliable tool to quantify FDG PET scores in routine practice.

In this study, metallic copper (Cu) nanowires are synthesized by reducing thermally synthesized CuO nanowires under an indigenously developed hydrogen plasma system. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results of the plasma-synthesized nanowires indicate the presence of metallic copper [(111) and (200)] and the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) further affirms the findings by presenting a stark difference in contrast of the nanowires before and after plasma treatment with diameters of 50 and 100 nm, respectively. The nanowires are studied for hydrogen evolution reaction in a neutral medium and they show excellent performance than the previously reported studies on bulk copper, with an overpotential of 210 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm2 and an exchange current density of 60 exp-5 A/cm2 which is an order of magnitude larger than the reported values on bulk copper. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy indicates that the surface of the nanowires is highly rich in metallic copper resulting in better electrochemical performance of the metallic Cu nanowires in a neutral environment.

Here, we report a new post-synthesis modification strategy for functionalizing reduced graphene aerogels (rGAs) towards an exceptional CO2 separation performance. 1-N-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF6]) was impregnated on a rGA, prepared by reducing GA at 700 degrees C, at various ionic liquid (IL) loadings of 5, 10, 30, and 50 wt%. The resulting composites were characterized in deep detail by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, N-2 physical adsorption measurements, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopies, and thermogravimetric analysis. Results indicated the presence of interactions between the rGA surface and the anion of the IL, potentially improving the CO2 affinity. Volumetric gas adsorption measurements using these materials showed that the deposition of [BMIM][PF6] on rGA surface at an IL loading of 50 wt% boosts the CO2/CH4 selectivity by more than 20-times, exceeding an absolute value of 120, a remarkably higher CO2/CH4 selectivity compared to that of other functionalized materials under similar operating conditions. Tunability of both the IL structure and the surface characteristics of rGA offer a tremendous degree of flexibility for the rational design of these IL/rGA composites towards high performance in gas separation applications., Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK); Koç University Seed Fund Program; HEC-Pakistan Scholarship; TARLA; METU Prof. Dr. Mustafa N. Parlar Education and Research Foundation's 2019 Research Incentive Award

Magnetorheological fluids (MRFs) are smart materials with a reversible and fast transition from a liquid to a semi-solid state when an external magnetic field is applied (magnetorheological effect). The sedimentation of micron-sized magnetic particles in commercial MRFs is a crucial problem limiting the long-term use in industrial applications. Here, we develop a new MRF based on commercial 140-CG LORD (R) with the addition of surface functional superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). These new bidisperse MRFs are comprised of either poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) coated SPIONs or lauric acid (LA) coated SPIONs and micron-sized fatty acid-coated magnetic particles of the commercial MRF. SPIONs have specific coatings to interact with the fatty acid coating of the micron-sized Fe-particles. Sedimentation behaviour and the magnetorheological properties of these bidisperse MRFs with 6-12 wt % SPION were examined. Bidisperse MRFs improved the stability and redispersibility of MRFs. Bidisperse MRFs with 12 wt% SPION-PAA showed similar or better magnetorheological behaviour than the commercial MRF despite lower content of the micron size Fe-particles. Hence, a combination of magnetizable nano and micron-sized particles and utilization of correct surface chemistry that allows their favourable interaction improves the stability of MRFs without sacrificing magnetic response but even by improving it. (C) 2020 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Russia’s material and moral support during Turkey’s National Movement in the 1920s is of great importance to Turkey. The Taksim Republic Monument, which was built in the largest square of Istanbul in 1928, is one of the monuments depicting a country’s struggle for independence and modernization. The monument discussed in the study is evaluated within the framework of the communication perspective and studied through semiotic analysis.

Objective.Major salivary gland ultrasonography (SGUS) is a widely used imaging technique to evaluate salivary gland involvement in primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between SGUS, salivary flow rate (SFR) as an objective measure of the gland function, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) as a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) in a pSS cohort.Methods.Sixty-six patients with pSS were examined by SGUS according to Hocevar and Milic scoring systems. Patients with inhomogeneity/hypoechoic areas with scores ≥ 2 in parotid and submandibular glands were classified separately as “severe glandular involvement.” Further, oral health, SFR, and Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) for OHRQOL were assessed.ResultsBoth total Hocevar and Milic scores were higher in 21 pSS patients with low unstimulated whole salivary flow rate (U-WSFR) than 45 pSS patients without low U-WSFR (P = 0.001 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Increased scores of homogeneity, hypoechoic areas and glandular border visibility were observed in patients with low U-WSFR (P < 0.05). Among these variables, homogeneity score was found to be an independent risk factor for low U-WSFR in pSS according to logistic regression analysis (OR 1.586, P = 0.001). Moreover, a higher OHIP-14 score was observed in severe parotid involvement compared to nonsevere cases (23.26 ± 21.19 vs 8.32 ± 13.82, P = 0.004).Conclusion.High Milic and Hocevar SGUS scores are associated with reduced SFR and poor OHRQOL as a PROM. The inhomogeneity component of the SGUS score is associated with low U-WSFR and is an indicator of severely affected gland function.

Designing cheap, efficient, and durable electrocatalysts on three-dimensional (3D) substrates such as nickel foam (NF) for the hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) is in high demand for the practical application of electrochemical water splitting. In this work, we adopted a simple one-step hydrothermal method to realize the incorporation of Zn into the lattice of CoMoO4 with various atomic concentrations—Co1-xZnxMoO4 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7). The morphological studies demonstrated that parent CoMoO4 consists of nanoflowers and nanorods. However, as the concentration of Zn increases within the host CoMoO4, the portion of nanoflowers decreases and simultaneously the portion of nanorods increases. Moreover, the substitution of Zn2+ in place of Co2+/Co3+ creates oxygen vacancies in the host structure, especially in the case of Co0.5Zn0.5MoO4, giving rise to lower charge-transfer resistance and a higher electrochemically active surface area. Therefore, among the prepared samples, Co0.5Zn0.5MoO4 on NF showed an improved HER performance, reaching 10 mA cm−2 at an overpotential as low as 204 mV in a 1.0 M KOH medium. Finally, the Co0.5Zn0.5MoO4 electrode exhibited robust long-term stability at an applied current density of 10 mA cm−2 for 20 h. The Faradaic efficiency determined by a gas chromatograph found that the hydrogen-production efficiency varied from 94% to 84%.

A semiconductor–catalyst hybrid assembly for photocatalytic water oxidation was obtained by preparing CoFe Prussian blue particles on Dion–Jacobson type niobate nanosheets, which produces a p–n junction, as evidenced by the Mott–Schottky plot. The hybrid material with a precious-metal-free cocatalyst exhibits an enhanced photocatalytic activity (89.5 μmol g–1 h–1) in the presence of S2O82– as the electron scavenger. XPS, infrared, XRD, TEM, and SEM studies performed on both pristine and postcatalytic samples indicate that the hybrid assembly exhibits a proper band energy alignment for the photocatalytic water oxidation process and it is stable throughout a 12 h photocatalytic study.

Graphene aerogels decorated with nickel/nickel oxide core–shell nanoparticles are synthesized via a one-pot hydrothermal reaction followed by thermal reduction. Nickel loading is varied from 1.5 to...

Atomically dispersed iridium complexes were anchored on a reduced graphene aerogel (rGA) by the reaction of Ir(CO)(2)(acac) [acac = acetonylacetonato] with oxygen-containing groups on the rGA. Characterization by X-ray absorption, infrared, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies and atomic resolution aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy demonstrates atomically dispersed iridium, at the remarkably high loading of 14.8 wt %. The rGA support offers sites for metal bonding comparable to those of metal oxides, but with the advantages of high density and a relatively high degree of uniformity, as indicated by the same turnover frequencies for catalytic hydrogenation of ethylene at low and high iridium loadings. The atomic dispersion at a high metal loading- and the high density of catalytic sites per unit of reactor volume, a key criterion for practical catalysts-set this catalyst apart from those reported.

In this study, layer-by-layer assembled thin films composed of nickel hydroxide and graphene oxide nanosheets were produced via simple dip coating process. The surface topography of the thin films was investigated by atomic force microscopy measurements. Electrical conductivity of the thin films was enhanced by chemical reduction with hydrazine vapor. The effect of chemical reduction on the surface chemical structure was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. To utilize the produced thin films as possible electrodes for electrochemical energy storage devices, cyclic voltammetric measurements were performed. The areal capacitance of a reduced 9-bilayer [Ni(OH)2/graphene oxide] thin film reached 5.2 mF cm−2 at a scan rate of 2 mV s−1, outperforming similar layer-by-layer assembled metal hydroxide/graphene thin films. Lastly, charge storage characteristics of as-deposited and reduced films were investigated by performing cyclic voltammetry at different scan rates and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

To compare the clinical features, laboratory findings, and prognosis of Behçet's disease (BD) patients with and without Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS).This multicenter retrospective study investigated 61 (M/F: 41/20) patients with BD, having coexistent BCS, and 169 (M/F:100/69) BD patients as the control group without BCS from 22 different centers of Turkey diagnosed between 1990 and 2017.Of the total 61 BD patients with BCS, the onset of the first symptom and the median age of diagnosis were earlier in contrast to BD patients without BCS (p = 0.005 and p = 0.007). Lower extremity deep vein and inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis were more common in patients with BCS (all; p 0.01) compared to the control group. Mortality was significantly higher in BD-BCS patients with IVC thrombosis than in the controls (p = 0.004). Since most of the cases in our cohort had chronic and silent form of BCS, mortality rate was 14.8%, which was on the lower range of mortality rate reported in literature (14-47%). While all BD-BCS patients received immunosuppressive (IS) agents, only half of them received additional anticoagulant treatments. Among IS agents, interferon treatment was more frequently used in this cohort (19%), compared to other series reported in literature (2.3%).To our knowledge, this is the largest series of BD patients with BCS. Our patients had earlier disease onset and diagnosis, higher frequency of IVC thrombosis, and higher mortality rate, compared to BD patients without BCS. Mortality was significantly higher in BD-BCS patients with IVC thrombosis compared to controls. Key Points • Mortality rate is higher in BD-associated BCS patients with IVC involvement. • Chronic and silent form of BD-associated BCS has a better prognosis. • The main treatment options are corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents, whereas anticoagulant treatment remains controversial.

Owing to the possibility of generating theoretically unlimited numbers of ionic liquid (IL)-metal-organic framework (MOF) combinations, experimental studies on IL/MOF composites for gas separation applications are mostly conducted on a trial-and-error basis. To address this problem, an integrated computational-experimental hierarchical approach is presented for selecting the best IL-MOF combination for a target gas separation application. For this purpose, UiO-66 and pyrrolidinium-based ILs are chosen as the parent MOF and IL family, respectively, and three powerful computational tools, Conductor-like Screening Model for Realistic Solvents calculations, density functional theory calculations, and grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations, are integrated to identify the most promising IL-UiO-66 combination as 1-n-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium dicyanamide/UiO-66, [BMPyrr][DCA]/UiO-66. Then, this composite is synthesized, characterized in deep detail, and tested for CO2/N-2, CO2/CH4, and CH4/N-2 separations. Results demonstrate that [BMPyrr][DCA]/UiO-66 offers an extraordinary gas separation performance, with practically infinite CO2 and CH4 selectivities over N-2 at 15 degrees C and at low pressures. The integrated hierarchical approach proposed in this work paves the way for the rational design and development of novel IL/MOF composites offering exceptional performance for any desired gas separation application., Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK); 1001-Scientific and Technological Research Projects Funding Program; European Research Council (ERC); Europian Union (EU); Horizon 2020; ERC-2017-Starting Grant; Research and Innovation Programme; COSMOS; HEC Pakistan Scholarship

Ruthenium was highly dispersed on graphene aerogel (GA) at high loadings to achieve high performance in COx-free hydrogen production from ammonia. Catalytic performance measurements on ammonia decomposition showed that the GA-supported catalyst with a Ru loading of 13.6 wt% provides an ammonia conversion of 71.5 % at a space-velocity of 30,000 ml NH3 g(cat)(-1)h(-1) and at 450 degrees C, corresponding to a hydrogen production rate of 21.9 mmol H-2 g(cat)(-1)min(-1). The addition of K increased the ammonia conversion to a record high value of 97.6 % under identical conditions, reaching a hydrogen generation rate of 30.0 mmol H-2 g(cat)(-1) min(-1), demonstrated to be stable for at least 80 h. A comparison of the turnover frequencies of catalysts indicated that this increase in performance upon the addition of K originated from an increase in the number of the active Ru sites and the corresponding electron density available for reaction.

In the present research, a non-equimolar Ti1.5ZrTa0.5Nb0.5Hf0.5 RHEA film with a thickness of 1.025 mu m was deposited on 316L, CoCrMo, and Ti6Al4V substrates by RF magnetron sputtering system. The micro structural characterizations showed that an amorphous and compact film with a continuous and cauliflower-like morphology was developed on the substrates. The hardness and elastic modulus of the deposited film, together with its adhesion, were determined by the nanoindentation. The RHEA-coated specimens exhibited much improved surface mechanical properties as compared with uncoated ones. The results of the scratch test demonstrated that the RHEA film provides high adhesion strength on the Ti6Al4V substrate compared to 316L and CoCrMo. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests were carried out in phosphate buffer saline (BPS) solution at 37 +/- 1 degrees C. In contrast to RHEA-coated 316L and CoCrMo specimens, RHEA-Ti6Al4V showed remarkable polarization resistance without any trace of pitting on its surface. According to the EIS measurement, the charge transfer resistance of the RHEA-Ti6Al4V specimen is significantly high, about 1.5 x 10(7) Omega cm(2), owing to the strong bonding between the RHEA film and Ti6Al4V substrate. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The upconversion behavior of Er3+/Tm3+ co-doped Ruddlesden-Popper type K(2)Ln(2)Ti(3)O(10) layered perovskites was investigated. The lanthanide pair was selected for achieving 980 nm-driven green, red, and NIR emission. The perovskites having different dopant compositions were synthesized by a conventional solid-state procedure by substitution of La3+ ions in the host lattice. Moreover, the single nanosheets having approximately 1.8 nm thickness and 2 mu m lateral size were obtained via chemical exfoliation. The non-doped and co-doped layered materials and the nanosheets derived from these materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy and custom-made experimental set-up of upconversion emission spectroscopy. According to the XRD profiles, the perovskites had the layered orientation and water molecules in the interlayer domain because of their hygroscopic nature. The co-doped layered perovskites presented twophoton excited green and red emissions, identified as S-4(3/2) -> (4)I(15/2 )with H-2(11/2) -> (4)I(15/2 )and F-4(9/2) -> I-4(15/2) of the Er3+ transitions with a NIR emission. The intensity of red to green ratio emission of the materials increased with respect to the co-dopant concentration. The nanosheets' upconversion emission was weak in the visible region compared to their layered morphology. On the other hand, the NIR emission based on H-3(4) -> H-3(6) transition of the Tm3+ ions was preserved despite the acid and solvent treatments to break apart the layered orientation. MTT assay and Calcein/PI staining were conducted to evaluate cytotoxicity of non-doped and Er3+/Tm3+ co-doped K(2)Ln(2)Ti(3)O(10) perovskites and their exfoliated nanosheets on HEK 293 and HepG2 cell lines. Both assays indicated that although cell viability decreases with increasing concentration, good cell viability was observed at even 100 mu g/mL. In addition to their excellent luminescent and optical features, the nanomaterials also demonstrated low cytotoxicity increasing the potential for their use in laser-based biological applications.

Growing environmental problems along with the galloping rate of population growth have raised an unprecedented challenge to look for an ever-lasting alternative source of energy for fossil fuels. The eternal quest for sustainable energy production strategies has culminated in the electrocatalytic water splitting process integrated with renewable energy resources. The successful accomplishment of this process is thoroughly subject to competent, earth-abundant, and low-cost electrocatalysts to drive the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), preferably, in the same electrolyte. The present contribution has been dedicated to studying the synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical properties of newfangled electrocatalysts with the formal composition of Mg1−xTMxB2 (x = 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1; TM (transition metal) = Fe and Co) primarily in HER as well as OER under 1 M KOH medium. The electrochemical tests revealed that among all the metal-doped MgB2 catalysts, Mg0.95Co0.05B2 has the best HER performance showing an overpotential of 470 mV at − 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 80 mV dec−1 on account of its high purity and fast electron transport. Further investigation shed some light on the fact that Fe concentration and overpotential for HER have adverse relation meaning that the highest amount of Fe doping (x = 0.1) displayed the lowest overpotential. This contribution introduces not only highly competent electrocatalysts composed of low-cost precursors for the water-splitting process but also a facile scalable method for the assembly of highly porous electrodes paving the way for further stunning developments in the field.

Wearable bioelectronic systems are one of the most important tools for human health and motion monitoring. However, there is still a great challenge to fabricate high-performance flexible devices with a conformal integration of the human body and there is no single device that can collect and correlate data simultaneously from chemical and mechanical signals of the human body. We recently developed a new method to build aerogel-based strain and sweat sensors (AB-SSS) that can effectively extract real-time information by combining involuntary human motion and chemical signals due to their gradient functionalities. These sensors provide good mechanical integrity and allow high-density power generation during subtle human motion, allowing sweat monitoring by measuring pH, ion concentration, perspiration rate, etc.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with small and medium vessel systemic vasculitis.& nbsp;Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 25-hydroxy (OH) vitamin D3 levels were measured in adult patients with systemic small and medium vessel vasculitis including antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV), cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis (CryV), IgA vasculitis (IgAV) and pol-yarteritis nodosa (PAN), and age- and sex-matched healthy subjects (HS) and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as control groups. 25OH vitamin D3 levels < 30 ng/ml and < 20 ng/ml were regarded as insufficiency and deficiency, respectively.& nbsp;Results: Fifty-seven patients (42 AAV, 2 CryV, 8 IgA vasculitis, 5 PAN) with systemic vasculitis, 101 HS, and 111 RA patients were included. The mean 25OH vitamin D3 level was 21.8 +/- 14.2 ng/mL in patients with vasculitis, 42.7 & nbsp;+/- 27.6 ng/mL in HS (p < .001) and 20.1 +/- 18.47 ng/mL in patients with RA (p = .54). Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency were significantly higher in patients with systemic vasculitis compared to HS (75.4% vs 33.7%, p < .001; %50 vs 21.8%, p < .001, respectively). Vitamin D status was not different in patients with systemic vasculitis compared to RA. There was a negative correlation between vitamin D status and CRP levels (=-.364, p = .007). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that renal involvement was significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in patients with vasculitis (OR 22.5 [95% CI 1.6-128.9].& nbsp;Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are more frequent in patients with systemic small and medium vessel vasculitis and RA than HS. Renal involvement is one of the factors associated with vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency in patients with vasculitis. Objetivos: Determinar la prevalencia de la deficiencia de vitamina D en los pacientes con vasculitis sistémica de peque ̃nos y medianos vasos. Métodos: En este estudio transversal se midieron los niveles de 25-hidroxivitamina D3 en pacientes adul- tos con vasculitis sistémica de peque ̃nos y medianos vasos, incluyendo vasculitis asociada a anticuerpos anticitoplasma de neutrófilos (AAV), vasculitis crioglobulinémica (CryV), vasculitis IgA (IgAV) y poliar- teritis nodosa (PAN), y sujetos sanos pareados por edad y sexo (SS) y pacientes con artritis reumatoide (AR) como grupos control. Se consideraron insuficientes y deficientes los niveles de 25-hidroxivitamina D3 < 30 ng/ml y < 20 ng/ml, respectivamente. Resultados: Se incluyeron 57 pacientes (42 de AAV, 2 de CryV, 8 de vasculitis IgA y 5 de PAN) con vasculitis sistémica, 101 SS y 111 pacientes de AR. El nivel medio de 25-hidroxivitamina D3 fue de 21,8 ± 14,2 ng/ml en pacientes con vasculitis, 42,7 ± 27,6 ng/ml en SS (p < 0,001) y 20,1 ± 18,47 ng/ml en pacientes con AR (p = 0,54). La insuficiencia y deficiencia de vitamina D fueron significativamente más altas en los pacientes con vasculitis sistémica en comparación con los SS (75,4 vs. 33,7%; p < 0,001; 50 vs. 21,8%; p < 0,001, respectivamente). El estatus de vitamina D no fue diferente en los pacientes con vasculitis sistémica en comparación con AR. Existió una correlación negativa entre el estatus de vitamina D y los niveles de PCR = −0,364; p = 0,007. El análisis de regresión logística multivariante reflejó que el compromiso renal estuvo significativamente asociado a la deficiencia/insuficiencia de vitamina D en los pacientes con vasculitis (OR: 22,5; IC 95%: 1,6-128,9). Conclusión: La insuficiencia y deficiencia de vitamina D son más frecuentes en los pacientes con vasculitis sistémica de peque ̃nos y medianos vasos y AR que en los SS. El compromiso renal es uno de los factores asociados a la deficiencia/insuficiencia de vitamina D en los pacientes con vasculitis.

Ultrathin electrodes composed of layer-by-layer as-sembled (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane functionalized iron oxidenanoparticles and graphene oxide nanosheets were prepared by a simpleand low-cost dip coating method without using any binders orconductive additives. The thickness of the Fe3O4/GOfilms was simplyaltered with the number of dip coating cycles. Multilayeredfilms werechemically reduced with hydrazine vapor in order to increase theelectrical conductivity. Characterization of multilayerfilms wasperformed with scanning transmission electron microscopy, UV−visspectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, quartz crystal microbalance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic reso-nance spectroscopy. We have performed cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for the evaluationof Fe3O4/GO multilayers as possible electrochemical capacitor electrodes. Reduced Fe3O4/GOfilms exhibit high specificcapacitances (varying between 200 and 350 F g−1at 5 mV s−1), outperforming the layer-by-layer assembled iron oxides/carbonderivatives (carbon nanotube, graphene).

Here, we present a new concept of a core-shell type ionic liquid/metal organic framework (IL/MOF) composite. A hydrophilic IL, 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide, [HEMIM][DCA], was deposited on a hydrophobic zeolitic imidazolate framework, ZIF-8. The composite exhibited approximately 5.7 times higher CO2 uptake and 45 times higher CO2/CH4 selectivity at 1 mbar and 25 degrees C compared to the parent MOF. Characterization showed that IL molecules deposited on the external surface of the MOF, forming a core (MOF)-shell (IL) type material, in which IL acts as a smart gate for the guest molecules., Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK); European Union (EU); H2020; European Research Council (ERC)-2017 Starting Grant; Koç University Seed Fund Program; Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA)-GEBIP Award; TARLA; HEC Pakistan Scholarship

Tezcan, Mehmet Engin/0000-0002-1753-4936; TUFAN, Abdurrahman/0000-0001-6244-9362; SARI, Ismail/0000-0001-7737-4180; YILMAZ, Sedat/0000-0002-4691-3417 WOS: 000436403100017 PubMed: 28992387 ObjectiveApproximately 30-45% of patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) have been reported to have attacks despite colchicine treatment. Currently, data on the treatment of colchicine-unresponsive or colchicine-intolerant FMF patients are limited; the most promising alternatives seem to be anti-interleukin-1 (anti-IL-1) agents. Here we report our experience with the off-label use of anti-IL-1 agents in a large group of FMF patients. MethodsIn all, 21 centers from different geographical regions of Turkey were included in the current study. The medical records of all FMF patients who had used anti-IL-1 treatment for at least 6 months were reviewed. ResultsIn total, 172 FMF patients (83 [48%] female, mean age 36.2 years [range 18-68]) were included in the analysis; mean age at symptom onset was 12.6 years (range 1-48), and the mean colchicine dose was 1.7 mg/day (range 0.5-4.0). Of these patients, 151 were treated with anakinra and 21 with canakinumab. Anti-IL-1 treatment was used because of colchicine-resistant disease in 84% and amyloidosis in 12% of subjects. During the mean 19.6 months of treatment (range 6-98), the yearly attack frequency was significantly reduced (from 16.8 to 2.4; P < 0.001), and 42.1% of colchicine-resistant FMF patients were attack free. Serum levels of C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and 24-hour urinary protein excretion (5,458.7 mg/24 hours before and 3,557.3 mg/24 hours after) were significantly reduced. ConclusionAnti-IL-1 treatment is an effective alternative for controlling attacks and decreasing proteinuria in colchicine-resistant FMF patients.

Even though metallic biomaterials have long been utilized as the key materials in biomedical applications due to their exceptional mechanical properties, corrosion and bacterial infection problems place a limit on their prolonged clinical applications. In order to overcome such problems, surface modification of the implants via exerting a durable and protective coating containing antibacterial agents is crucial. In this study, undoped and Ag-doped Ti1.5ZrTa0.5Nb0.5W0.5 refractory high-entropy alloy (RHEA) films with a thickness of 1.10 μm were deposited on Ti6Al4V alloys through RF magnetron sputtering technique. The influence of the deposited film and embedding Ag nanoparticles on microstructure, mechanical properties, and electrochemical behavior was investigated. The microstructural findings revealed an amorphous structure with cauliflower-like morphology for deposited films. Coated specimens showed a significant improvement in surface mechanical properties such as elastic modulus and hardness. Doping Ag nanoparticles in the deposited film increased the roughness and contact angle of the specimens due to the evolution of Ag nanoparticles. Furthermore, electrochemical investigations revealed that undoped and Ag-doped deposited films remarkably improved the corrosion resistance of uncoated substrate; after the films deposition process, the corrosion rate of the specimens decreased 2.3 to 2.8 orders of magnitude compared to the uncoated substrate. Also, embedding Ag nanoparticles notably increased the polarization resistance of deposited films.

Mesoporous graphene aerogel (GA) supported Pt nanoparticles with narrow size distribution were prepared via supercritical deposition (SCD) using supercritical CO 2 (scCO 2 ). Pt(cod)me 2 precursor was dissolved in scCO 2 and adsorbed onto GA at 35 °C and 10.7 MPa. The Pt precursor was converted to its metal form under atmospheric pressure at various temperatures. The effects of precursor conversion temperature (400, 600, and 800 °C) on the structural properties of the composites were investigated using Raman Spectroscopy, XRD, XPS, and TEM. The average particle size increased from 1.2 to 2.9 nm when the conversion temperature was increased from 400 to 800 °C. The electrocatalytic activity of the samples towards the Oxygen Reduction Reaction were evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and rotating disc electrode (RDE) measurements. SCD helped to preserve the textural properties of the GA after the Pt nanoparticle deposition, and thus Pt/GA converted at 600 °C exhibited an enhanced mass activity of 30.6 mA mg Pt −1 , outperforming the mass activities reported in the literature for Pt/GA electrocatalysts prepared using conventional routes.

Interleukin-17 (IL-17) has been associated with the pathogenesis of various autoimmune/inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of Th17-related immunity in an innate immunity-dominated vasculitis, namely Behcet's disease (BD).Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 37 patients (age: 38.5 ± 9.8 years) with BD, and 25 healthy controls (HC) (age: 39.1 ± 9.3 years), were cultured in Th17-inducing conditions (IL-6, Phytohemagglutinin (PHA), IL-1β, and IL-23) for 6 days. Cultured cells were stained with CD4, CD8, CD3, TCR gamma/delta, CD19, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and IL-17 antibodies to determine the intracellular cytokine secretion by flow cytometry.IL-17 expression by CD8+ and γδ+ T cells was higher in BD compared to HC (p = 0.004, p = 0.003, respectively). No differences were observed between the groups in the IL-17 production by B cells. Under Th17-inducing conditions, production of IFN-γ by CD4+, CD8+, and γδ+ T cells was also higher in BD compared to HC (p 0.05 in all).Our results suggest that under Th17-stimulating conditions, T cells express both IL-17 and IFN-γ in BD. More prominent IL-17 and IFN-γ production by all lymphocyte subsets in BD might be associated with the increased innate responses, early tissue neutrophil infiltrations and late adaptive immunity in BD.

Gastrointestinal (GI) system is commonly affected in sytemic sclerosis (SSc) patients who are also known to be at risk for malnutrition. We aimed to investigate the relationship between severity of GI disease, malnutrition and severity of organ involvement including microvasculopathy.A hundred and thirty-four SSc patients were included into the study; disease activity and severity, the University of California, Los Angeles, Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium Scleroderma Gastrointestinal scale 2.0 (UCLA SCTC GIT 2.0) and malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST) were cross-sectionally assessed. Nailfold video-capillaroscopy(NVC) was performed to evaluate microvasculopathy.SSc patients who are at medium to high risk for malnutrition (n=20); had more frequently limited pulmonary function, lung involvement, pulmonary hypertension, capillary rarefaction and NVC late pattern than those at low risk for malnutrition. Capillary rarefaction (≤6/mm) was shown to be independently associated with medium to high risk for malnutrition defined by using MUST. Capillary rarefaction and severe skin involvement were found to be independently related to 'severe' or 'very severe' GI disease defined by using UCLA SCTC GIT 2.0. UCLA SCTC GIT 2.0 scores were not found to be good discriminative in patients at risk for malnutrition allowing for a ROC curve of area under the curve (AUC)0.8).Assessment of gastrointestinal complaints and nutritional status by using symptom based questionnaires reflected the severity of GI disease and malnutrition including some limitations. Capillary rarefaction and severe skin involvement might be determining factors for malnutrition risk and severe GI disease.

Background: Radiographic severity of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) shows such great variance that some patients never develop syndesmophytes throughout the entire disease span, whereas some develop bamboo spine relatively early. Objective: To study the association between ERAP1, IL23R and PTGER4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and radiographic severity in AS patients. Methods: rs27044 and rs30187 (ERAP1), rs11209032 (IL23R) and rs10440635 (PTGER4) SNPs were genotyped in 235 AS patients fulfilling the modified New York criteria. Patients were classified as mild- and severe-AS according to modified Stoke AS spinal score (mSASSS). Mild-AS is defined as having mSASSS of “0” following at least 10 years of disease duration. Severe-AS is defined as having mSASSS of >20 (patients with mild vertebral changes (i.e. squaring or erosions) were omitted for clear stratification) regardless of disease duration. Results: The genotype distributions and allele frequencies of ERAP1 rs27044 and rs30187, IL23R rs11209032 and PTGER4 rs10440635 SNPs were similar in mild- (n=171, mSASSS=0, 55.6% HLA-B27 positive) and severe-AS patients (n=64, mSASSS=48.5±17.8, 73.4% HLA-B27 positive). After adjustment for clinical differences between groups (gender, disease duration, HLA-B27 and smoking status) by logistic regression analysis, none of the alleles in the investigated SNPs were found to be associated with radiographic severity of AS. Conclusion: In radiographically well-categorized AS patients, ERAP1 rs27044 and rs30187, IL23R rs11209032 and PTGER4 rs10440635 SNPs are not found to be associated with radiographic severity of AS.

Objective To determine the frequency of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma) compared to healthy subjects (HS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to determine the ability of cardiovascular (CV) risk indices in detecting SSc patients with subclinical atherosclerosis. Methods A total of 110 SSc patients (102 females and 8 males, mean ± SD age 50.5 ± 11.9 years), 110 age- and sex-matched RA patients, and 51 HS without CV disease were examined with ultrasonography (US). Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) >0.90 mm and/or carotid plaques were used as the gold standard for subclinical atherosclerosis (US+). Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), QRisk II, and 2013 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) CV risk indices were calculated. Results Twenty-one (19.1%) SSc patients, 24 (21.8%) RA patients, and 3 (5.9%) HS had subclinical atherosclerosis (SSc versus RA: P = 0.62, SSc versus HS: P = 0.029). cIMT in SSc was higher compared to HS (0.68 ± 0.15 mm versus 0.61 ± 0.10 mm; P = 0.008) but similar to RA patients (0.66 ± 0.14 mm; P = 0.82). Subclinical atherosclerosis in SSc was associated with age (odds ratio [OR] 1.07, P = 0.013), elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (OR 3.4, P = 0.045), and pulmonary arterial hypertension (OR 4.27, P = 0.012). Concerning CV risk indices, of the 21 US+ SSc patients only 0, 3 (14.2%), and 6 (28.6%) were classified as high CV risk according to SCORE, QRisk II, and ACC/AHA risk indices, respectively. Conclusion Subclinical atherosclerosis in SSc patients is more frequent than in HS, but is as frequent as in RA patients in which accelerated atherosclerosis is clearly defined. CV risk indices for the general population are considerably insufficient to detect SSc patients with atherosclerosis.

Behçet's disease (BD) is characterized by recurrent oro-genital ulcers, mucocutaneous lesions, and serious organ involvement. We investigated the salivary microbiome in BD using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA V4 region. Stimulated saliva samples were collected from 31 BD patients and 15 healthy controls, and in 9 BD patients, a second saliva sample was collected following dental and periodontal treatment. Sequence analysis identified a total of 908 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) present across all samples. Patients had a microbial community structure that is significantly less diverse than healthy controls. The most overabundant species in BD was Haemophilus parainfluenzae, while the most depleted included Alloprevotella rava and species in the genus Leptotrichia. Periodontal treatment improved oral health indices in BD but had no short-term effect on bacterial community structure. Neither the BD-associated genetic risk locus within the HLA-B/MICA region nor being on immunosuppressive medications explained the differences between patients and controls.

Zn(NO3)2 concentration had been reported to be significantly influential on electrodeposition of ZnO structures. In this work, this issue is revisited using hydrothermal–electrochemical deposition (HED). Seedless, cathodic electrochemical deposition of ZnO films is carried out on ITO electrode at 130 °C in a closed glass reactor with varying Zn(NO3)2 concentration. Regardless of the concentration of Zn2+ precursor (0.001–0.1 M) in the deposition solution, vertically aligned 1-D ZnO nanorods are obtained as opposed to electrodepositions at lower temperatures (70–80 °C). We also report the effects of high bath temperature and pressure on the photoelectrochemical properties of the ZnO films. Manipulation of precursor concentration in the deposition solution allows adjustment of the aspect ratio of the nanorods and the degree of texturation along the c-axis; hence photoinduced current density. HED is shown to provide a single step synthesis route to prepare ZnO rods with desired aspect ratio specific for the desired application just by controlling the precursor concentration.

Catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to liquid fuels and basic chemicals by using solar-derived hydrogen at, or near, ambient pressure is a highly desirable goal in heterogeneous catalysis. If realized, this technology could lead to a more sustainable society together with decentralized power generation. A novel class of holmium-containing multi-metal oxide Cu catalysts, discovered through the application of high-throughput methods, is reported. In particular, ternary systems of Cu-GaOx-HoOy>Cu-CeOx-HoOy approximate to Cu-LaOx-HoOy supported on -Al2O3 exhibited superior methanol production (10x) with less CO formation than previously reported catalysts at 1atm pressure. Holmium was shown to be highly dispersed as few-atom clusters, suggesting that the formation of trimetallic sites could be the key for the promotion of methanol synthesis by Ho.

Composites of graphene (oxide) (GO) and first-row transition-metal cations (Co2+ , Ni2+ , Mn2+ , Fe2+ ) are prepared by mixing GO and aqueous metal salt solutions. The amount of metal cation bound to GO nanosheets is calculated by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the possible binding sites of the metals are investigated by means of attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements. Electrodes loaded with the metal/GO composites are prepared by a simple drop-casting technique without any binders or conductive additives. The effect of electrochemical reduction on the structure of the composite electrodes is investigated by Raman spectroscopy, XPS, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). A detailed electrochemical characterization is performed for the utilization of the composite electrodes for electrochemical capacitors and possible oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalysts by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and rotating disk electrode measurements. The highest areal capacitance is achieved with the as-deposited Fe/GO composite (38.7 mF cm-2 at 20 mV s-1 ). In the cyclic stability measurements, rCo/GO, rNi/GO, rMn/GO, and rFe/GO exhibit a capacitance retention of 44, 1.1, 73, and 87 % after 3000 cycles of CV at 100 mV s-1 , respectively.

The rapidly increasing energy demand due to the depletion of fossil fuels and worsening environmental pollution have led to recent research interests on clean energy sources, energy conversion, and energy-storage systems. Therefore, supercapacitors also referred as electrochemical capacitors have gained a great deal of attention in industry as well as academia compared with the batteries and fuel cells because of the significant properties such as high power density produced by fast charge/discharge rate and long cycle life. Generally, conducting polymers, carbon-based materials and metal oxides have been extensively investigated to develop the most efficient electrode material for supercapacitors. Among the metal oxides, the perovskite oxides with ABO3 crystal structure has drawn lots of interest owing to exhibiting reversible faradaic surface reactions, their high intrinsic capacity, excellent thermal stability and also low cost among pseudocapacitive materials. On the other hand, LaMnO3 perovskite is a promising material in terms of accessibility, environmental friendliness, and also its capability to store charges through intercalation and reversible faradaic surface reactions in vacancies (both oxygen and cation). Considering chemical states and type of defects are influenced by introduction of the dopant elements to main structure, in this study we have synthesized calcium doped LaMnO3 perovskites. The LaMnO3 (LMO) and La1-xCaxMnO3 (LCM-x) (x=0.1, 0.3, 0.5) nanocrystalline powders have prepared via the modified pechini method to obtain nanoparticles with high surface area, and the effect of calcium content on electrochemical properties studied with respect to pure LaMnO3. The crystalline structures of the nanopowders have characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD, Bruker D8 Advance) and also elemental compositions of the samples have identified by X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF, Bruker Tiger S8). The surface morphologies have determined with the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, Zeiss Ultra Plus). The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method (BET, Micromeritics ASAP 2020) has been used for examination of the surface area. For surface electronic states of powders, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, Thermo K-Alpha) have performed with Al K-alpha radiation source. To evaluate the electrochemical properties of prepared samples, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements (GCD) have carried out with three electrode system in 1M KOH electrolyte at the potential window of -0.1 to 1.4 V (vs RHE), and at different scan rates ranging from 2 to 100 mV. s-1. According to assessment of CV results, specific capacitance of LCM-0.3 has been found as 1114.3 F. g-1 nearly 5 times higher than that of pure LaMnO3 sample (238.1 F. g-1) at the scan rate of 2 mV. s-1. Compatible with the CV results, the LCM-0.3 sample have also performed the highest capacitance with 1499.2 F. g-1 at current density of 0.5 A. g- 1. The results have revealed that calcium doped lanthanum manganite based perovskites could be promising in the supercapacitor electrode materials area. Effect of chemical composition on structure, particle size, surface area and electrochemical performance will be discussed in detail.