Defining Recent Femicide in Modern Turkey: Revolt Killing

This paper aims to question recent increasing femicides in Turkey through the examination of their reasons and dynamics. Therefore, it starts with analyzing current terms such as “honor killing”, “töre killing” and “crimes of passion”. The article claims that the recent description of the murder of women in Turkey as “honor killings” is misleading. Turkey must employ finer distinctions among types of femicide so as to prevent murderers and the larger society from justifying such actions through claims of honor. This paper thus asserts that the analysis of femicide in Turkey, as a Muslim country, should go far beyond the context of honor killing and argues that such examination must consider new social and economic changes as well as the new status of women in modern Turkish society. Thus, the article raises a new argument by suggesting a new term, “revolt killing”, for conceptualizing femicide in Turkey in tandem with recent social change and the increasing status of women. It argues that revolt killing is the concept of conflict between tradition and modernity, and it claims that recent increasing femicides in Turkey are closely related with the changing status of women towards modernity in contrast to the stability of men’s status in tradition

Alpha-lipoic acid alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced liver damage in rats via antioxidant effect

Objective: The effect of lipoic acid (LA), which is considered to be a potential antioxidant, on oxidative stress parameters in liver tissue damage has not been sufficiently investigated. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship of LA with oxidant and antioxidant parameters in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced liver damage in rats. Methods: First group (n=10) was injected a single dose of 20 mg/kg saline (control), second group (n=10) was injected a single dose of 20 mg/kg LPS (LPS) and third group (n=10) was injected a single dose of 20 mg/kg LPS at the end of third day of 10 mg/kg/day LA injection (LA+LPS). The glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined by spectrophotometric method. 3-Nitrotyrosine (3-NT) level was measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Results: It was found that 3-NT and MDA levels were significantly lower in LA+LPS group than those of LPS group. Moreover, it was found that antioxidant enzyme activity values of LA+LPS approached to the values of control group. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the oxidant/antioxidant status is balanced in the LA group. Therefore, it may be suggested that LA supplementation to be beneficial for preventing oxidative stress in LPS-induced liver damage in rats

Evaluation of blood metal levels of hockey teams after playing on synthetic turf fields

Background Artificial turf fields are widely used as an alternative to natural grass in many areas such as parks, playgrounds, and playing fields. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the toxicological effects of the chemicals contained in the fields consisting of artificial turf and crumb rubber on the blood metal levels in field hockey players. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 28 apparently healthy men aged 20-25 years who participated in this study voluntarily. They consisted of 17 field hockey athletes [athlete group (AG)] and 11 sedentary males [control group (CG)]. Before and after the 7-day tournament, blood samples were taken from AG and CG to measure mercury, arsenic, aluminum, lead, zinc, magnesium and iron levels. An independent t-test was used to analyze the data. Results In comparisons between CG and AG, the magnesium level of AG before the tournament was higher, while the iron and mercury levels were significantly lower (p<0.05). In intragroup comparisons, a significant increase was observed in the post-tournament magnesium and iron variables in the AG group (p<0.05). In post-tournament intergroup comparisons, increases in the Mg and decreases in the Hg variables of AG were significant (p<0.05). Conclusion It is thought that as a result of the tournament on fields with synthetic grass surfaces, the male field hockey players in the 20-25 age group were toxicologically not affected by the harmful heavy metals present in these fields, because the Hg, As, Pb, Zn, Al, Fe, and Mg levels are within the international reference ranges

Impact of Spleen Size on Outcomes in Laparoscopic Splenectomy in Children

Background. The aim of our study is to compare the efficacy of laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) between enlarged spleens and normal sized spleens. Methods. From June 2006 to September 2012, 50 patients underwent LS. The patients consisted of 24 girls and 26 boys with the mean age of 8.64 years (1–18). The patients are divided into two groups according to spleen’s longitudinal length on the ultrasonography. Group I consisted of the normal sized spleens; Group II consisted of spleens that are exceeding the upper limit. Groups are compared in terms of number of ports, operative time, rate of conversion to open procedure, and length of hospital stay. Results. The mean number of ports was 3.27 and 3.46, the mean length of the operation was 116.36 min and 132.17 min, rate of conversion to open procedure was 9.09% and 10.25%, and the mean length of hospital stay was 3.36 days and 3.23 days, respectively, in Group I and Group II. Although there is an increase in the number of the ports, the operative time, rate of conversion to open procedure, and the length of hospital stay, the difference was not significant between groups (P>0.05). Conclusion. LS is safe and effective in enlarged spleens as well as normal sized spleens

Kynurenine, Kynurenic Acid, Quinolinic Acid and Interleukin-6 Levels in the Serum of Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background and Objectives: It is known that inflammatory processes play a role in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is also reported that immune activation induces the kynurenine pathway (KP), as known as the tryptophan destruction pathway. In our study, we aimed to investigate whether the serum levels of KP products and interleukin (IL)-6 activating indolamine 2–3 dioxygenase (IDO) enzyme are different in healthy developing children and children with ASD. Materials and Methods: Forty-three ASD children aged 2–9 were included in this study. Forty-two healthy developing children, similar to the patient group in terms of age and gender, were selected as the control group. Serum levels of kynurenic acid, kynurenine, quinolinic acid and IL-6 were analyzed using the ELISA method. ASD severity was evaluated with the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC). Results: The mean age of children with ASD was 42.4 ± 20.5 months, and that of healthy controls was 48.1 ± 15.8 months. While the serum levels of kynurenic acid, kynurenine and interleukin-6 were higher in the group with ASD (p p > 0.05) in terms of the quinolinic acid level. There was no significant difference between the ABC total and subscale scores of children with ASD and biochemical parameters (p > 0.05). Conclusions: We conclude that these biomarkers must be measured in all ASD cases. They may be important for the diagnosis of ASD

Melatonin Supplementation Ameliorates Energy Charge and Oxidative Stress Induced by Acute Exercise in Rat Heart Tissue

Background: Regular physical exercises may help people to be more resistant to everyday problems; however, how acute and intense exercises affect the heart tissues functioning with maximum capacity and how melatonin changes the effect of acute and intense exercises are still not obvious. We aimed to comprehend whether melatonin intravenous injection supports the oxidative/antioxidative conditions and energy charge in heart tissues of rats exposed to acute swimming exercise

Melatonin Supplementation Ameliorates Energy Charge and Oxidative Stress Induced by Acute Exercise in Rat Heart Tissue

Background: Regular physical exercises may help people to be more resistant to everyday problems; however, how acute and intense exercises affect the heart tissues functioning with maximum capacity and how melatonin changes the effect of acute and intense exercises are still not obvious. We aimed to comprehend whether melatonin intravenous injection supports the oxidative/antioxidative conditions and energy charge in heart tissues of rats exposed to acute swimming exercise

Investigation of ischemia modified albumin and coenzyme Q10 levels in obese children with metabolic syndrome

Introduction: The aim of this study was to analyze serum ischemia modified albumin (IMA) and plasma CoQ10 levels and to evaluate their correlation with insulin resistance (homeostatic model assessment, HOMA) and lipid profile in obese children with and without metabolic syndrome (MS)

Total Tau and Phosphorylated Tau Protein Serum Levels in Patients with Schizophrenia Compared with Controls

Tau protein is located in the axons of neurons and in Alzheimer Disease, is abnormally phosphorylated and aggregates into paired helical filaments (neurofibrillary tangles) reflecting the degree of neurofibrillary pathology and neurodegeneration. Although tau and phosphorylated tau (p-Tau) pathology is a hallmark for dementia, few studies were performed in patients of schizophrenia. This preliminary serum study was designed to compare serum total tau and p-Tau levels of schizophrenia patients with healthy controls. The study was included 42 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and 42 healthy control subjects. Sociodemographic form was applied to both groups and PANSS was applied to patient group. Serum total tau and p-Tau levels were measured by ELISA method. Total tau and p-Tau levels of patients were significantly lower than healthy controls. There was a positive correlation between amount of past electroconvulsive therapies and total tau level. However total tau and p-Tau levels were positively correlated. Our study results showed that serum total tau and p-Tau levels of patients with schizophrenia were significantly lower than healthy controls