19 research outputs found
Alternative propulsor for mobile transportation and technological machines wood complex
Лесные машины, оборудованные альтернативным движителем, способны передвигаться по любым типам поверхностей (подготовленным дорогам, пахоте, болоту, песку, заснеженной местности и т.д.) с минимальным негативным воздействием.Forestry machines equipped alternative propulsors are capable to move on any types of land surfaces (the prepared roads, plowed land, bog, the sand, snow-covered land and etc.) with the minimal negative influence
Short communication: Absence of HIV infection in the choroid plexus of two patients who died rapidly with HIV-associated dementia
Absence of HIV infection of the choroid plexus (CPx) and macrophages in choroidal stroma was observed in two HIV-infected individuals who died 7 weeks and 12 months following the onset of HIV encephalitis. In contrast, the profound macrophage-related pathology associated with HIV infection presented in other neural tissue from 48 brain regions (seven CPx) was analyzed. These data suggest that HIV entry to the CNS may be independent of the CPx. It also emphasizes that the CPx is unlikely to harbor a significant reservoir of HIV in patients who rapidly progress to dementia. © 2008 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.link_to_subscribed_fulltex
Turkish medical students' perspectives on pediatric euthanasia
Background The legalization and paradigmatic cases,. such as Baby Doe, have initiated a debate on pediatric euthanasia. This paper examines the historic background, the current extent of implementation, and the main ethical arguments on pediatric euthanasia and analyzes the perceptions of Turkish medical students' attitude towards this new issue of medical ethics. Methods An online survey was conducted among Turkish medical students. Questions included: responders' perceptions of euthanasia, futile treatment, abuse of legalization, any specific requirements and conditions, who should decide, the right of minors to seek euthanasia, and the attitudes of physicians to applying lifesaving procedures on pediatric patients. Results Participants had a negative attitude towards euthanasia and did not agree that physicians should decide not to resuscitate an infant with severe abnormalities and a low chance of survival. They did not consider the economic burden of the treatments to be a determining factor for euthanasia. The majority agreed that the legalization of euthanasia would lead to misuse and would deprive patients of treatments currently available for untreatable conditions. Conclusions The increase in access to life-sustaining medical interventions, together with insufficient resources, draws attention to end-of-life decisions even for pediatric patients. This survey records the perceptions of medical students in Turkey about pediatric euthanasia, which may be a bigger issue by the time they start their professional life. More research focusing on the effect of various variables on perceptions and attitudes should be carried out to highlight the issue and empower discussions
Exploration of CTNNB1 ctDNA as a putative biomarker for hepatoblastoma
Driver mutations in the CTNNB1 gene (encoding β-catenin) are a hallmark of sporadic hepatoblastoma (HBL). Our results show that CTNNB1 circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) is readily detected in patients diagnosed with localised HBL, with serial sampling along the course of therapy and follow up providing a sensitive mechanism to monitor tumour dynamics and response to treatment. This exciting potential for CTNNB1 ctDNA to serve as a biomarker for treatment response in HBL holds clinical value, and requires assessment in a larger cohort of mixed tumour stages and recurrent disease
Steatohepatitis Coexisting with Dubin Johnson Syndrome: A Case Report
Dubin-Johnson syndrome (DJS) is a benign autosomal recessive liver disorder characterised by an intermittent jaundice caused by chronic and conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia. Many mutations in multidrug resistance associated protein (MRP-2) gene have been identified in patients with DJS. Although the disease is usually asymptomatic, some patients may experience vague abdominal pain. In this report, we present a patient with steatohepatitis diagnosed as DJS through a liver biopsy. The patient, 38 years of age, male was admitted to our clinic with vague abdominal pain and jaundice. High levels of serum transaminase, triglyceride, cholesterol and bilirubin were found. Ultrasonography showed Grade II hepatosteatosis in the liver. When steatohepatitis and intracytoplasmic dPAS positive pigment which is more prominent in the perivenular region (zone 3) was observed in the liver biopsy, the patient was diagnosed as DJS coexisting with steatohepatitis. [Med-Science 2015; 4(4.000): 2884-9
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Early Transplant Tubulointerstitial Damage
It is unknown whether epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) leads to tubulointerstitial fibrosis in renal transplants. In this study, interstitial fibrosis and markers of EMT were followed in protocol transplant biopsies in 24 patients. Tubulointerstitial damage (TID) increased from 34 to 54% between 1 and 3 mo after transplantation. Detection of EMT depended on the marker used; low levels of α-smooth muscle actin were found in 61% of biopsies, but the less specific marker S100 calcium binding protein-A4 (also known as Fsp1) suggested a higher incidence of EMT. The presence or development of TID did not correlate with EMT but instead significantly correlated with subclinical immune activity (P < 0.05). Among biopsies showing TID, microarray analysis revealed differential regulation of 127 genes at 1 mo and 67 genes at 3 mo compared with baseline; these genes were predominantly associated with fibrosis, tissue remodeling, and immune response. Of the 173 EMT-associated genes interrogated, however, only 8.1% showed an expression pattern consistent with EMT at 1 mo and 6.3% at 3 mo. The remainder were not differentially altered, or their changes in expression were opposite those expected to promote EMT. Quantitative reverse transcriptase–PCR revealed that the expression pattern of 12 EMT-associated genes was inconsistent over time, opposite that expected, or consistent with subclinical rejection or inflammation. In conclusion, EMT does not seem to play a significant role in the development of early allograft fibrosis
A multi-center survey of childhood asthma in Turkey - I: The cost and its determinants
WOS: 000262517500013PubMed ID: 18363634Successful management of childhood asthma requires a thorough idea of the economic impact of asthma and its determinants, as policy makers and physicians inevitably influence the outcome. The aim of this study was to define the cost of childhood asthma in Turkey and its determinants. In April 2006, a multi-center, national study was performed where data regarding cost and control levels were collected. Asthmatic children (6-18 yr) with at least a 1-yr follow-up seen during a 1-month period with scheduled or unscheduled visits were included. The survey included a questionnaire-guided interview and retrospective evaluation of files. Cost and its determinants during the last year were analyzed. A total of 618 children from 12 asthma centers were surveyed. The total annual cost of childhood asthma was US$1597.4 +/- 236.2 and there was a significant variation in costs between study centers (p < 0.05). Frequent physician visits [odds ratio (95% confidence intervals)] [2.3 (1.6-3.4)], hospitalization [1.9 (1.1-3.3)], asthma severity [1.6 (1.1-2.8)], and school absenteeism due to asthma [1.5 (1.1-2.1)] were major predictors of total annual costs (p < 0.05 for each). The comparable cost of asthma among Turkish children with that reported in developed countries suggests that interventions to decrease the economic burden of pediatric asthma should focus on the cost-effectiveness of anti-allergic household measures and on improving the control levels of asthma
Clinical findings of patients with cystic fibrosis according to newborn screening results.
Background Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a lethal recessive genetic disease caused by loss of function associated with mutations in the CF trans-membrane conductance regulator. It is highly prevalent (approximately 1 in 3,500) in Caucasians. The aim of this study was to compare demographic and clinical features, diagnostic tests, treatments, and complications of patients with CF whose newborn screening (NBS) with twice-repeated immune reactive trypsinogen testing was positive, normal, and not performed. Methods In this study, 359 of all 1,488 CF patients recorded in the CF Registry of Turkey in 2018, who had been born through the process of NBS, were evaluated. Demographic and clinical features were compared in patients diagnosed with positive NBS (Group 1), normal (Group 2), or without NBS (Group 3). Results In Group 1, there were 299 patients, in Group 2, there were 40 patients, and in Group 3, there were 20 patients. Among all patients, the median age at diagnosis was 0.17 years. The median age at diagnosis was higher in Groups 2 and 3 than in Group 1 (P = 0.001). Fecal elastase results were higher in Group 2 (P = 0.033). The weight z-score was lower and chronic Staphylococcus aureus infection was more common in Group 3 (P = 0.017, P = 0.004, respectively). Conclusions Frequency of growth retardation and chronic S. aureus infection can be reduced with an early diagnosis using NBS. In the presence of clinical suspicion in patients with normal NBS, further analyses such as genetic testing should be performed, especially to prevent missing patients with severe mutations