Dental Anxiety and Fear: Relationship with Oral Health Behavior in a Turkish Population

The aim of this study was to assess fear and anxiety in dental patients. Five hundred patients were evaluated using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale and the Dental Fear Scale, along with a questionnaire. Oral health status was assessed using the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT)/Decayed, Missing, and Filled Surfaces (DMFS) index. Statistic al analysis was performed (P .05). Female sex alone was a significant predictor of dental anxiety; female sex, adulthood, marriage, having children, and time passed since last visit to a clinician are significant predictors of fear

Assessment of Reduced Tolerance to Sound (Hyperacusis) in University Students

Introduction: Hyperacusis is defined as a reduction in tolerance to ordinary environmental sounds. Hyperacusis can occur in individuals of all age groups, making daily life difficult for the sufferers. Although there is no objective test to accurately diagnose hyperacusis, questionnaires are useful for the assessment of hyperacusis. The aim of this study was to explore the reduced sound tolerance in university students using a hyperacusis questionnaire (HQ). Materials and Methods: A total of 536 university students (300 females and 236 males) aged between 18 and 25 years, with a mean age of 21.34 ± 1.87 years, were assessed using an HQ developed by Khalfa. The mean total score of all the participants was 16.34 ± 7.91, and 5.78% of the participants had total scores indicating hyperacusis, where a majority of them were females. Results: Females had significantly higher scores than men in terms of both the total and the attentional and emotional dimensions. The scores of the participants who reported noise exposure or a decrease in their tolerance to noise were significantly higher than those of the other participants. Even among young adults, there was a group of participants suffering from some problems related to decreased tolerance to everyday sounds. Discussion: Although the Turkish translation of the HQ seems to be a reliable tool for evaluating hyperacusis in young adults, further work with various populations of different age groups is required to establish validity and to assess the psychometric qualities of the Turkish form

A Strategy Based on the Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction of Cadmium in Environmental Samples Prior to Its Determination by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A simple method was developed by combining dispersive liquid-liquid microexraction (DLLME) and flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). For the pre-concentration of trace amounts of cadmium, a new complexation chelate of 2-[(4-phenylpiperazine-5-Thioxo- 4,5-dihydro-1 ,3,4-oxadiazole-2- yl)methyl]-5-methyl-4-[2-(1H-indol e-3-yl)ethyl]-2,4-dihydro-3H-1, 2,4-Triazole-3-one (PPTOMDT) was used and mixed with the solvents of chloroform and methanol. The mixture of the extraction solutions was then directly injected into an aqueous solution containing Cd2+ ions. After centrifugation, the settled phase was diluted with 500 mu L of ethanol/nitric acid and aspirated into the FAAS. The limit of detection (LOD) was found at 0.69 mu g L-1 under optimum conditions. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for 15 replicates at a 3.75 mu g L-1 Cd2+ concentration level was 3.21%. The calibration plot was linear within the range of 2.5-15 mu g L-1 of Cd2+. After the analytical characteristics were determined, the CRM-TMDW-500 Drinking Water and CRM-SA-C Sandy Soil C, both certified reference materials, were analyzed in order to validate the method. The application of the DLLME method has been successfully tested for the determination of cadmium in solid and liquid samples. The recoveries of the spiked sample ranged between 92-96%

The Effectiveness Of Traditional Basic Life Support Training And Alternative Technology-Enhanced Methods In High Schools

Background: Implementation of resuscitation training in school programs is a promising approach to improve rates of cardiopulmonary resuscitation use by trained bystanders. Unfortunately, theoretical cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction alone is not sufficiently effective in developing practical skills. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of traditional Basic Life Support training and alternative instructional methods to achieve learning objectives of Basic Life Support education. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in a secondary school in Ankara, Turkey. Eighty-three voluntary students were randomly allocated to theoretical (Group A), video-based (Group B), and mobile-assisted video-based instructions (Group C). All groups were led by the course teacher. Assessments were conducted in training and again 1 week later. Assessments were based on Basic Life Support knowledge and confidence performance scores. Results: Statistically significant difference was found for the groups' Confidence Scale scores (F(2, 73) = 3.513, p = 0.035, eta p(2) = 0.088); Group C (6.76 +/- 1.70) scored higher than Group A. The groups' Basic Life Support checklist scores were statistically significant (F(2, 73) = 28.050, p = 0.000, eta p(2) = 0.435); Group C (32.32 +/- 3.84) scored higher than the other groups. Statistically significant difference was found for the groups' measurable Basic Life Support scores (F(2, 73) = 13.527, p = 0.000, eta p(2) = 0.270); and Group C (23.76 +/- 3.98) scored higher than the other groups. Conclusion: Our findings showed that all instruction methods led to increased Basic Life Support knowledge scores. The mobile-assisted program significantly increased knowledge scores. Same-group high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation parameters were more positive than the other instruction groups except for hand position. Group C students expressed higher confidence in their ability to act in an emergency when witnessing a victim collapse.WoSScopu

Emergency Department Overcrowding in Turkey: Reasons, Facts and Solutions

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting the long waiting times of the patients in a university hospital. 
 Methods: This study included 3000 of the adults above 18 years and pediatric trauma patients under 18 years who applied to emergency department between February 2009 and April 2009. The examination period of the physician, length of stay, length of hospitalization, waiting times for hospitalization and follow up times in the emergency department were recorded. Moreover, the patients were divided into four groups according to the reasons for waiting. 
 Results: In our study, the time period between 4 pm-12 pm was determined as the busiest time for the applications. Average length of stay in the emergency department for 3000 patients was 146.7±160.2 minutes. The length of stay for the patients consulted was longer than the length of stay for the ones who were not consulted. Because of the fact that our hospital did not have appropriate bed capacity, 41.1% of the patients waited less than two hours, 13. 4% of the patients waited more than 8 hours. It was also found that the waiting times of the Group two patients (206,7±145,2 minutes) was longer than Group one (95,5±73,9 minutes) patients and the waiting times of Group three patients (470,7±364,7 minutes) was longer than Group one patients. 
 Conclusions: In conclusion, cooperation of the managers, relevant departments and a multidisciplinary approach are necessary to achieve the goals to reduce overcrowding in the emergency departments. 
 Keywords: bed capacity; crowding; emergency department; length of stay. &#13

Emergency Department Overcrowding in Turkey: Reasons, Facts and Solutions

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting the long waiting times of the patients in a university hospital. Methods: This study included 3000 of the adults above 18 years and pediatric trauma patients under 18 years who applied to emergency department between February 2009 and April 2009. The examination period of the physician, length of stay, length of hospitalization, waiting times for hospitalization and follow up times in the emergency department were recorded. Moreover, the patients were divided into four groups according to the reasons for waiting. Results: In our study, the time period between 4 pm-12 pm was determined as the busiest time for the applications. Average length of stay in the emergency department for 3000 patients was 146.7±160.2 minutes. The length of stay for the patients consulted was longer than the length of stay for the ones who were not consulted. Because of the fact that our hospital did not have appropriate bed capacity, 41.1% of the patients waited less than two hours, 13. 4% of the patients waited more than 8 hours. It was also found that the waiting times of the Group two patients (206,7±145,2 minutes) was longer than Group one (95,5±73,9 minutes) patients and the waiting times of Group three patients (470,7±364,7 minutes) was longer than Group one patients. Conclusions: In conclusion, cooperation of the managers, relevant departments and a multidisciplinary approach are necessary to achieve the goals to reduce overcrowding in the emergency departments.  Keywords: bed capacity; crowding; emergency department; length of stay.

Optimization of Process Parameters and Culture Medium for L-(+)-Lactic Acid Production by Rhizopus oryzae

WOS: 000269707000007The influence of process parameters such as carbon source, initial pH, agitation rate, inoculum size and fermentation temperature on L-(+)-lactic acid production by Rhizopus oryzae were examined in shaken culture. The highest lactic acid concentration of 62 g/L was obtained at 150 g/L glucose concentration, initial medium pH 6, agitation rate 150 rpm, inoculum size 1 x 10(8) spores/mL and fermentation temperature 32.5 degrees C. The maximum lactic acid concentration of 112 g/L was obtained at an agitation rate of 500 rpm and aeration of 0.75 vvm under optimum conditions found in the shake flask experiments in a 1-L stirred tank bioreactor in batch system. The oxygen transfer characteristic of the lactic acid production process was analyzed. Increases in both the agitation rate and the aeration rate increased the k(L)a values, with the agitation rate increase being much more effective. The effects of different fed-batch methods were determined. The constant feed rate fed-batch culture was an effective method for the production of lactic acid, the concentration of which reached 134 g/L, 19.6% higher than in the batch fermentation.FUBAP (Firat University Scientific Research Unit)Firat University [422]This study was financially supported by FUBAP (Firat University Scientific Research Unit) with Project No. 422