Attitudes and approaches towards COVID-19 management among the public and pharmacists in Northern Cyprus

Purpose: To study the attitudes and approaches towards COVID-19 management among the public and pharmacists in Northern Cyprus.Method: Questionnaire were administered face-to-face and online to volunteer pharmacists and othermembers of the public, after receiving approval from the Near East University Ethics Boards. Responses to the questionnaire were evaluated statistically.Results: The pharmacists who quickly learned and adopted the necessary protection measures againstCOVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic were young professionals under the age of 30 years who had less than 5 years of professional experience (p < 0.05). Most pharmacists who prepared magistral disinfectants/antiseptic solutions and lotions for irritation caused by excessive hand washing were agedabove 60 years, with more than 30 years of professional experience (p < 0.05). The people who responded in the questionnaires asked for products derived from Echinacea, Sambucus nigra, propolis, ginger and Pelargonium sidoides to boost their immune system. Approximately 22.6 % of the respondents received COVID-19-related information from doctors, while 33.4 % got theirs from pharmacists. However, 6.7 % of the respondents got information from social media groups which they created (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Cooperation between pharmacists and health care organizations is increasingly crucial forpublic health, since there are still gaps in the successful control of COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it would be beneficial and even necessary to add a course on "management and solidarity in pandemics and other disasters" to the undergraduate education programs in pharmacy and all other healthcare disciplines.&nbsp

Distributions of Sociodemographic Characteristics, Symptoms and Diagnoses in Cases Who Referred To Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic

Aim:The purpose of this study was to determine the sociodemographic characteristics, and distributions of symptom and psychiatric diagnoses in children and adolescents presenting to the Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University Child and Adolescent Psychiatry outpatient clinic.Materials and Methods:The records for 1221 children and adolescents presenting to the Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University Child and Adolescent Psychiatry outpatient clinic between August 2015 and April 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. Cases’ sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric diagnoses resulting from clinical evaluations based on DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, and treatment information were examined.Results:The meanage of the cases included in the study was 9.45±4.42 years; 9.7% (n=119) were aged 0-3 years, 19.3% (n=236) 4-6, 37.7% (n=460) 7-12, and 33.3% (n=406) 13-19. Girls constituted 38.9% (n=475) of cases and boys 61.1% (n=746). The most common presentation symptoms were attention deficit/hyperactivity in 26.4% (n=322), irritability in 17.9% (n=218), and fears/anxieties in 12.3% (n=150). Seventy-seven percent of cases (n=940) received at least one psychiatric diagnosis as a result of evaluation, while at least two comorbid psychiatric diagnoses were present in 18.2% (n=222). The most common diagnoses were attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in 29.7% (n=363), anxiety disorder in 16.4% (n=200), and depressive disorder in 7.4% (n=90). At least one therapeutic option was recommended in 76.6% (n=935) of cases.Conclusion:Our findings will be useful in terms of revealing common diagnoses and symptoms by age and sex, and of understanding regional differences in the organization of polyclinic services

Distributions Of Sociodemographic Characteristics, Symptoms and Diagnoses in Cases Who Referred To Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, Tekirdağ Namık Kemal Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Çocuk ve Ergen Psikiyatrisi polikliniğine başvuran çocuk ve ergenlerin sosyodemografik özellikleri, semptom ve psikiyatrik tanı dağılımlarının incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır.Materyal ve Metot: Ağustos 2015 ve Nisan 2017 tarihleri arasında Tekirdağ Namık Kemal Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Çocuk ve Ergen Psikiyatrisi polikliniğine başvuran 1221 çocuk ve ergenin geriye dönük dosya taraması yapılmıştır. Olguların sosyodemografik özellikleri, DSM-5 tanı kriterleri temel alınarak yapılan klinik değerlendirmeler sonucunda aldıkları psikiyatrik tanılar ve tedavi bilgileri değerlendirilmiştir.Bulgular: Çalışmaya alınan olguların yaş ortalaması 9.45±4.42 yıl ve %9,7’si (n=119) 0-3 yaş aralığında, %19.3’ü (n=236) 4-6 yaş aralığında, %37.7’si (n=460) 7-12 yaş aralığında, %33.3’ü (n=406) 13-19 yaş aralığındaydı. Olguların %38.9’u (n=475) kız, %61.1’i (n=746) erkekti. En sık başvuru şikayetleri %26.4 (n=322) dikkat eksikliği/hareketlilik, %17.9 (n=218) sinirlilik ve %12.3 (n=150) korkular/kaygılardı. Psikiyatrik muayene sonucunda olguların %77’si (n=940) en az bir psikiyatrik tanı alırken, %18.2’sinde (n=222) ise en az iki psikiyatrik tanı birlikteydi. En sık konulan tanılar %29.7 (n=363) dikkat eksikliği hiperaktivite bozukluğu, %16.4 (n=200) anksiyete bozukluğu, %7.4 (n=90) depresif bozukluktu. Olguların %76.6’sına (n=935) en az bir tedavi seçeneği önerilmişti.Sonuç: Bulgularımız yaşa ve cinsiyete göre sık görülen tanı ve semptomları ortaya koymak ve poliklinik hizmetlerini düzenlemede bölgesel farklılıkları anlamak açısından faydalı olacaktır.Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the sociodemographic characteristics, and distributions of symptom and psychiatric diagnoses in children and adolescents presenting to the Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University Child and Adolescent Psychiatry outpatient clinic. Materials and Methods: The records for 1221 children and adolescents presenting to the Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University Child and Adolescent Psychiatry outpatient clinic between August 2015 and April 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. Cases’ sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric diagnoses resulting from clinical evaluations based on DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, and treatment information were examined. Results: The meanage of the cases included in the study was 9.45±4.42 years; 9.7% (n=119) were aged 0-3 years, 19.3% (n=236) 4-6, 37.7% (n=460) 7-12, and 33.3% (n=406) 13-19. Girls constituted 38.9% (n=475) of cases and boys 61.1% (n=746). The most common presentation symptoms were attention deficit/hyperactivity in 26.4% (n=322), irritability in 17.9% (n=218), and fears/anxieties in 12.3% (n=150). Seventy-seven percent of cases (n=940) received at least one psychiatric diagnosis as a result of evaluation, while at least two comorbid psychiatric diagnoses were present in 18.2% (n=222). The most common diagnoses were attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in 29.7% (n=363), anxiety disorder in 16.4% (n=200), and depressive disorder in 7.4% (n=90). At least one therapeutic option was recommended in 76.6% (n=935) of cases. Conclusion: Our findings will be useful in terms of revealing common diagnoses and symptoms by age and sex, and of understanding regional differences in the organization of polyclinic services

Protective effect of Coriandrum sativum extract against inflammation and apoptosis in liver ischaemia/reperfusion injury

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Coriandrum sativum extract on liver ischaemia reperfusion injury at light microscopic and biochemical levels. Materials and methods: Sham, ischaemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), IRI + Coriandrum sativum extract and only Coriandrum sativum extract groups were formed. Sixty minutes of ischaemia and 60 minutes of reperfusion were performed. In the treatment group, 300 mg/kg/day Coriandrum sativum was given by gavage. Hepatic tissues were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzymes were measured. Nuclear factor-kappa beta (NF-κB), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and caspase-3 immunohistochemistry staining was performed. Microscopic scoring was performed in terms of sinusoidal congestion, vacuolisation, and necrosis. Results: Sinusoidal enlargement and diffuse congestion, Kupffer cell increase, neutrophil increase in necrotic areas, vacuolisation in hepatocytes, and bile duct proliferation in the portal triad were observed in ischaemia/reperfusion hepatic tissue. Very rare, necrotic areas were observed in the Coriandrum sativum treatment group, while congestion and vacuolisation and bile duct proliferation were decreased compared to the ischaemic group. The AST and ALT levels were increased in the IRI and IRI + Coriandrum sativum groups. When compared to the IRI group, the AST and ALT levels of the Coriandrum sativum were considerably decreased. The IRI and IRI + Coriandrum sativum groups had statistically significant differences in ALP compared to that of the Coriandrum sativum and Sham groups. There was no significant difference between the ALP levels of the IRI and IRI + Coriandrum sativum groups TNF-α, NF-κB and caspase-3 immune positive stained hepatocytes were numerous and widely observed in the injury group. There were positive TNF-α immunohistochemical staining Kupffer cells in the IRI group. In the group treated with Coriandrum sativum, Kupffer cells were not stained, while TNF-α, NF κB and caspase-3 expressing hepatocytes were found to be decreased compared to the IRI group. When the expression values of the TNF-α, NF-κB and caspase-3 groups were evaluated statistically, it was seen that there was a significant decrease in the group treated with Coriandrum sativum. Conclusions: It was found that Coriandrum sativum extract decreased proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α and apoptotic cell death and liver enzymes in liver ischaemia/reperfusion injury

Towards Rapid Multi-robot Learning from Demonstration at the RoboCup Competition

Abstract. We describe our previous and current efforts towards achiev-ing an unusual personal RoboCup goal: to train a full team of robots directly through demonstration, on the field of play at the RoboCup venue, how to collaboratively play soccer, and then use this trained team in the competition itself. Using our method, HiTAB, we can train teams of collaborative agents via demonstration to perform nontrivial joint behaviors in the form of hierarchical finite-state automata. We discuss HiTAB, our previous efforts in using it in RoboCup 2011 and 2012, recent experimental work, and our current efforts for 2014, then suggest a new RoboCup Technical Challenge problem in learning from demonstration. Imagine that you are at an unfamiliar disaster site with a team of robots, and are faced with a previously unseen task for them to do. The robots have only rudimentary but useful utility behaviors implemented. You are not a programmer. Without coding them, you have only a few hours to get your robots doing useful collaborative work in this new environment. How would you do this

A New Diterpenoid Alkaloid from the Roots of a White-Flowering Aconitum orientale Sample

From the roots of a white-flowering Aconitum orientale Miller sample, collected in Artvin-Savsat, Turkey, a new diterpenoid alkaloid named aconitorientaline (1) was isolated, along with the known diterpenoid alkaloids septentiriodine, lappaconitine, finaconitine, ranaconitine, puberanidine and delstaphinine (Fig.). The structure of 1 was established on the basis of 1H- and 13C-NMR, DEPT, 1H,1H-COSY, NOESY, HSQC, and HMBC studies. All the known compounds were identified by comparison of their 1H- and 13C-NMR data and co-TLC behavior with those of authentic samples

Joint visual attention modeling for naturally interacting robotic agents

This paper elaborates on mechanisms for establishing visual joint attention for the design of robotic agents that learn through natural interfaces, following a developmental trajectory not unlike infants. We describe first the evolution of cognitive skills in infants and then the adaptation of cognitive development patterns in robotic design. A comprehensive outlook for cognitively inspired robotic design schemes pertaining to joint attention is presented for the last decade, with particular emphasis on practical implementation issues. A novel cognitively inspired joint attention fixation mechanism is defined for robotic agents. © 2009 IEEE