Waterpipe tobacco smoke: Characterization of toxicants and exposure biomarkers in a cross-sectional study of waterpipe employees

Introduction: Few studies have comprehensively characterized toxic chemicals related to waterpipe use and secondhand waterpipe exposure. This cross-sectional study investigated biomarkers of toxicants associated with waterpipe use and passive waterpipe exposure among employees at waterpipe venues. Method: We collected urine specimens from employees in waterpipe venues from Istanbul, Turkey and Moscow, Russia, and identified waterpipe and cigarette smoking status based on self-report. The final sample included 110 employees. Biomarkers of exposure to sixty chemicals (metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nicotine, and heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCAAs)) were quantified in the participants' urine. Results: Participants who reported using waterpipe had higher urinary manganese (geometric mean ratio (GMR): 2.42, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16, 5.07) than never/former waterpipe or cigarette smokers. Being exposed to more hours of secondhand smoke from waterpipes was associated with higher concentrations of cobalt (GMR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.75). Participants involved in lighting waterpipes had higher urinary cobalt (GMR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.86), cesium (GMR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.48), molybdenum (GMR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.93), 1- hydroxypyrene (GMR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.80), and several VOC metabolites. Conclusion: Waterpipe tobacco users and nonsmoking employees of waterpipe venues had higher urinary concentrations of several toxic metals including manganese and cobalt as well as of VOCs, in a distinct signature compared to cigarette smoke. Employees involved in lighting waterpipes may have higher exposure to multiple toxic chemicals compared to other employees.This study was supported by the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (#119187) with funding from the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (1R01HL134149)

Effects of the changes between preand post-treatment 18F-FDG PET-CT volumetric parameters on overall survival in pleural mesothelioma

Introduction. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of positron emission tomography in fusion with computed tomography (PET-CT) parameters in predicting survival outcomes for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.  Material and methods. This study retrospectively evaluated the data of 250 patients who were followed up after a diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma. The relationship of pre-treatment [maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax1), metabolic tumor volume (MTV1), total lesion glycolysis (TLG1), tumor/background (TBR1), pleural thickness1), post-treatment (SUVmax2, MTV2, TLG2, TBR2, pleural thickness2], and DPET-CT parameters with survival was retrospectively evaluated in 36 patients whose pre- and post-treatment CT scan examinations were complete.  Results. The median age of the patients was 57.5 years, ranging from 35 to 76. Median follow-up time was 16 months, with a range of 7 to 42 months. Median survival was calculated as 18.8 months for all patients. Based on the determined cut-off values, overall survival was determined as 29.9 months in patients with TLG2 ≤ 158 compared to 16 months in patients with TLG2 > 158 (p = 0.009) and as 30.9 months in patients with DTLG ≤ –62.58 compared to 16 months in patients with DTLG > –62.58 (p = 0.001). In addition, median overall survival (OS) was determined as 29.9 months in patients with MTV2 ≤ 63.9 compared to 16 months in patients with MTV2 > 63.9 (p = 0.007) and as 29.9 months in patients with DMTV ≤ –54.03 compared to 16 months in patients with DMTV > –54.03 (p = 0.002). When evaluated with respect to TBR2; median OS was 29.9 months in patients with TBR2 ≤ 1.84 compared to 16 months in patients with TBR2 > 1.84 (p = 0.039).  Conclusions. Our research findings indicate a correlation between OS and volumetric PET-CT measures, specifically TLG and MTV

Immobilization of a Bifidobacterial Endo-\u3ci\u3eß-N\u3c/i\u3e-Acetylglucosaminidase to Generate Bioactive Compounds for Food Industry

Conjugated N-glycans are considered next-generation bioactive prebiotic compounds due to their selective stimulation of beneficial microbes. These compounds are glycosidically attached to proteins through N-acetylglucosamines via specific asparagine residue (AsN-X-Ser/Thr). Certain bacteria such as Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis (B. infantis) have been shown to be capable of utilizing conjugated N-glycans, owing to their specialized genomic abilities. B. infantis possess a unique enzyme, Endo-ß-N-acetylglucosaminidase (EndoBI-1), which cleaves all types of conjugated N-glycans from glycoproteins. In this study, recombinantly cloned EndoBI- 1 enzyme activity was investigated using various immobilization methods: 1) adsorption, 2) entrapment-based alginate immobilization, 3) SulfoLink-, and 4) AminoLink-based covalent bonding immobilization techniques were compared to develop the optimum application of EndoBI-1 to food processes. The yield of enzyme immobilization and the activity of each immobilized enzyme by different approaches were investigated. The N-glycans released from lactoperoxidase (LPO) using different immobilized enzyme forms were characterized using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS). As expected, regardless of the techniques, the enzyme activity decreased after the immobilization methods. The enzyme activity of adsorption and entrapment-based alginate immobilization was found to be 71.55% ± 0.6 and 20.32% ± 3.18, respectively, whereas the activity of AminoLink- and SulfoLink-based covalent bonding immobilization was found to be 58.05 ± 1.98 and 47.49% ± 0.30 compared to the free form of the enzyme, respectively. However, extended incubation time recovery achieved activity similar to that of the free form. More importantly, each immobilization method resulted in the same glycan profile containing 11 different N-glycan structures from a model glycoprotein LPO based on MALDI-TOF MS analysis. The glycan data analysis suggests that immobilization of EndoBI-1 is not affecting the enzyme specificity, which enables full glycan release without a limitation. Hence, different immobilization methods investigated in this study can be chosen for effective enzyme immobilization to obtain bioactive glycans. These findings highlight that further optimization of these methods can be a promising approach for future processing scale-up and commercialization of EndoBI- 1 and similar enzymes

The relationship between inflammation markers, positron emission tomography/ /computed tomography parameters and disease prognosis in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients

Introduction. Inflammation is known to be related to the development, spread, prognosis, and treatment response in cancer patients. Our study aimed to evaluate the correlation between inflammation indices and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) parameters and investigate their relationship with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients diagnosed with stage-IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).  Material and methods. Demographic, clinicopathological, laboratory, and PET/CT data of 179 patients diagnosed with stage-IV NSCLC who presented to the Oncology Department of Dicle University, Faculty of Medicine between 2010–2020 were retrieved from patient files and the hospital database system.  Results. The median age at diagnosis was 64 (27–87) years. All patients included in the study had NSCLC: 72.6% had adenocarcinoma, 21.2% had squamous cell carcinoma, and 6.1% had other histological types. Of the 78 patients who were subjected to molecular analysis, 26 (33.3%) were EGFR-mutation positive. During the 10-month median follow-up, median first-line PFS was 6 months (95% CI 5.00–6.99), and median OS was 10 months (95% CI 7.8–12.1). The multivariate analysis performed for first-line PFS determined hemoglobin (HR = 1.01; 95% CI 1.003–1.02; p = 0.005) and PET total lesion glycolysis (TLG) (HR = 1.002; 95% CI 1.001–1.003; p = 0.003) values as independent prognostic factors. The multivariate analysis for OS determined positive EGFR mutation status (HR = 0.385; 95% CI 0.213–0.696; p = 0,014) and performance status (HR = 1.88; 95% CI 1.092–3.238; p = 0,008) as independent prognostic factors.  Conclusions. Our study determined the hemoglobin level and PET TLG from PET/CT parameters to be independent prognostic factors for PFS, and performance status and EGFR mutation positivity to be independent prognostic factors for OS

Evaluation of Secondhand Smoke Using PM2.5 and Observations in a Random Stratified Sample in Hospitality Venues from 12 Cities

Background: Turkey passed a law banning smoking in all indoor public places in 2008. In response to the indoor smoking restriction, many smokers may have relocated to outdoor areas of venues. The aim of this study was to evaluate air pollution related to SHS exposure in indoor and outdoor areas of hospitality venues in 12 cities in Turkey. Method: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated hospitality venues in 12 cities in Turkey. In each visited venue, we evaluated a pre-specified number of study locations such as the outdoor area of the main entrance, indoor areas, and patios or other outdoor dining areas, completely or partially covered with window walls. We measured particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) in those areas. Results: The fieldworkers visited 72 randomly selected hospitality venues and measured PM2.5 concentrations in 165 different locations (indoor, outdoor, and patios) of those venues. Overall, 2573 people were observed, 909 of them smoking. The median (IQR) PM2.5 concentrations were 95 (39–229) μg/m3 indoors, 25 (13–48) μg/m3 outdoors, and 31 μg/m3 (16–62) in the patios (p < 0.001). After adjustment, each additional smoker was associated with a 2% increase in PM2.5 concentrations in patio air (GMR (95% CI): 1.02 (1.00, 1.05), and a 4% increase in indoor air (GMR (95% CI): 1.04 (1.02, 1.05). Conclusions: There were unhealthy levels of smoking-caused PM2.5 concentrations, not only indoors, but also in the patios of hospitality venues. Legislative efforts to expand the smoke-free legislation to outdoor areas adjacent to indoor public places and an action plan to increase compliance with the smoke-free policy are urgently needed in Turkey

Ganglioneuroblastoma of the Thoracic Spinal Cord: a Very Rare Case Report

An eight‑month‑old male child was admitted with weakness and swelling in the feet. Paraparesis and bilateral lower extremity edema were present in the neurological examination. Thoracic MRI showed an intradural intramedullary mass 61 × 11 mm in size in the T5–T10 levels. Laminotomy between the T5–T10 vertebrae was performed. A mass with smooth borders was separated from most of the neural tissue. In the postoperative MRI, we observed a contrast enhancing area, considered a residual fragment, only 5 × 4 mm in size. Histopathological properties were compatible with the intermixed subtype of ganglioneuroblastoma. Only a limited number of thoracic cord Ganglioneuroblastoma reports have been previously published. Although very rare in children and young adults, ganglioneuroblastoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of thoracic cord tumors. It is difficult to obtain a preoperative diagnosis with clinical features and radiological investigations. Diagnosis depends on histopathological examinations. Curative treatment should be in the form of a complete resection of the tumor. In partially resected cases, adjuvant radiotherapy may become necessary, along with close follow‑up

Regarding on the exact solutions for the nonlinear fractional differential equations

In this work, we have considered the modified simple equation (MSE) method for obtaining exact solutions of nonlinear fractional-order differential equations. The space-time fractional equal width (EW) and the modified equal width (mEW) equation are considered for illustrating the effectiveness of the algorithm. It has been observed that all exact solutions obtained in this paper verify the nonlinear ordinary differential equations which was obtained from nonlinear fractional-order differential equations under the terms of wave transformation relationship. The obtained results are shown graphically

Solving nonlinear evolution equation system using two different methods

This paper deals with constructing more general exact solutions of the coupled Higgs equation by using the (G0/G, 1/G)-expansion and (1/G0)-expansion methods. The obtained solutions are expressed by three types of functions: hyperbolic, trigonometric and rational functions with free parameters. It has been shown that the suggested methods are productive and will be used to solve nonlinear partial differential equations in applied mathematics and engineering. Throughout the paper, all the calculations are made with the aid of the Maple software