The efficacy of multiparametric prostate magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer

Aim: To investigate the accuracy of multiparametric prostate magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in determining the diagnosis and treatment options of prostate cancer (PCa), and its pathology correlation. Methods: Between October 2017 and January 2018, 73 patients were subjected to an mpMRI at our clinic. Of these patients, 11 were radical prostatectomy (RP) after treatment, and four were post- radiation therapy (RT) follow-up. The remaining 58 patients were assigned to the PSA elevation and / or positive digital rectal examination (DRE) patient group in this study and their outcomes were evaluated. Results: Of the 58 patients included in the study, 13 were found to have a PI-RADS 5 on mpMRI and in 9 (90%) of 10 patients undergoing simultaneous biopsy, PCa was detected. The biopsy results of all cases evaluated as PI-RADS 1 were benign. All of the patients who were ISUP 3 and above had a PI-RADS 5. Patients with a PI-RADS score of 4 and above being ISUP 2 and above was statistically significant (p=0.011). A case had undergone a previous radical prostatectomy assessment revealed that tPSA increased to 2 ng/ml during the follow-up, and so RT was added to the treatment; although LAP was identified in the left iliac region on an mpMRI performed upon the continued increase of tPSA. During the follow-ups of the patient who had regional RT, the tPSA dropped below 0.01 ng/ml. Conclusion: The results of our study show that mpMRI can gain a new and important place in urology due to the guidance it provides in biopsies, facilitating targeted biopsy, its effectiveness in determining treatment modalities and its importance in post-PCa treatment follow-ups

Exploring Oxysterols and Protein Carbonylation in Cervicovaginal Secretions as Biomarkers for Cervical Cancer Development

Cervical cancer, a major global health issue and the fourth most common cancer among women, is strongly linked to Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Emerging evidence indicates that oxidative stress plays a critical role in the carcinogenesis of cervical tissue. This study investigates the relationship between oxidative stress markers—specifically oxysterols, lipid oxidation, and protein carbonylation—and the progression of cervical neoplasia. Oxysterols, which are elevated in various inflammatory diseases and cancers, were measured in cervicovaginal fluid samples using LC-MS/MS. The targeted oxysterols included 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OHC), 7β-hydroxycholesterol (7β-OHC), 7-ketocholesterol (7-KC), and 7α,27-dihydroxycholesterol (7α,27-diOHC). Among these, 7α,27-dihydroxycholesterol was significantly increased in correlation with the severity of neoplastic stages. In parallel, protein carbonylation, an indicator of cellular oxidative stress, was assessed. Results revealed higher levels of protein carbonylation in neoplastic samples compared to non-neoplastic controls. These modifications were further analysed through redox proteomics to identify the specific proteins affected. The study demonstrates that elevated lipid oxidation and protein carbonylation in cervicovaginal secretions are linked to the development and progression of cervical cancer. Identifying these biomarkers may improve screening strategies, enabling the identification of individuals at increased risk for cervical neoplasia and guiding timely interventions

A multidisciplinary study to reveal the historical value of wooden structures and to develop a conservation approach: Dere and Karh Mosques in Samsun, Turkey

Wood is one of the oldest traditional construction materials used for religious and civil architecture in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. Samsun, located in the central Black Sea Region, has qualified examples of wooden mosques in rural areas. In the scope of this paper, two wooden mosques (Dere and Karl1), located in rural areas of Kayak district (Samsun), were studied in detail with an interdisciplinary study. We aimed to emphasize the historical value of both mosques by determining their building dates, defining their conservation problems and offering proper conservation approach principles. While the Dere Mosque was registered as immovable cultural heritage by Samsun Regional Council of Conservation, Karl! Mosque has not yet been registered. However, both mosques have similar conservation problems, caused particularly by improper management such as unqualified interventions, abandonment, neglect and fire risk. For the sustainability of wooden religious heritage, it is important to reveal the historical value of the mosques and to develop detailed conservation proposals. We believe that this research will guide the quality refurbishment of wooden structures with similar conservation problems in the region and stimulate the protection of wooden heritage. (C) 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved

Assessing Ecotourism Potential of Traditional Wooden Architecture in Rural Areas: The Case of Papart Valley

The aim of this study is to reveal the resource values that the rural areas host, and with a very disciplined approach, to discuss opportunities to benefit from those values in terms of ecotourism practices specific to Papart Valley. As a first step in this study, we took an inventory of natural and cultural assets of Papart Valley in Eastern Black Sea Region, Artvin province. Then, a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats ( SWOT) analysis was conducted with the participation of all stakeholders and the current situation was analyzed in terms of ecotourism practices. In light of SWOT results, along with observed natural resource assets in the region, the traditional wooden houses were seen to have potential in terms of ecotourism and it was detected that there were a large number of wooden homes and home plans suitable for both the settlement of the local people and accommodation of guests. On the other hand, it was determined that there was a lack of information for sufficient protection and care of wooden houses, and despite their potential, there was a lack of regulations and positive attitudes towards accomodation businesses in traditional wooden houses. In order to eliminate these deficiencies, proposals for the protection of traditional building stock were developed, by first determining the causes of material degradation in the wooden houses. Also, to emphasize the worth and importance of these structures, dendrochronology studies were conducted in order to determine the antiquity of the structures and potentially to make them more attractive for eco-tourism

Tolerance of brown-rot and dry-rot fungi to CCA and ACQ wood preservatives

Copper remains the primary biocide component used today to protect wood. Increased interest in the use of non-arsenic copper-based wood preservatives has also led to increased studies on copper-tolerant decay fungi. Oxalic acid production by brown-rot fungi is proposed as one mechanism of copper tolerance. This study evaluated oxalic acid production and copper losses from ACQ- and CCA-treated Pinus sylvestris L. and Populus x euramericana 1 214 wood by brown-rot fungi: Postia placenta, Gloeophyllum trabeum, Tyromyces palustris, and 2 strains of Serpula lacrymans. There was no clear linear correlation among mass losses, oxalic acid production, or copper losses in most cases. However, T palustris and one strain of S. lacrymans showed copper tolerance in treated wood. P placenta caused considerable mass losses in ACQ-treated specimens only. G. trabeum produced very low oxalic acid and was inhibited by ACQ and CCA wood preservatives. We concluded that wood species and preservative formulation affected the oxalic acid production, mass losses, and copper tolerance of the tested fungi

Use of geographic information system (GIS) to select fish cage farming sites in Surmene Bay, Black Sea

Attempts to develop open sea fish farming projects in the Black Sea have often failed due to poor site selection. This problem can be solved by using the Geographic Information System (GIS) to collect, manipulate, query, display, and integrate various data sets. In this study, data sets were arranged together to analyze habitats and a site selection methodology was developed for the coastal region of Trabzon on the Surmene Bay. Data included temperature, salinity, and current velocity, collected during regular cruises of the KTU-R/V Denar-I research vessel. Shoreline data were digitized using regional maps and spatial relationships were examined using Boolean Algebra. Two interpolation methods (Kriging and Inverse Distance Weight) were used to form thematic maps and identify optimal sites for a rainbow trout cage farm. No significant differences were found between the results of the two methods. Temperature was the most influential fac- tor determining the final site position

Use of hyaluronic acid in the correction of contour asymmetries following rhinoplasty

Background: Some of the minor post-rhinoplasty asymmetries and irregularities may be treated with soft-tissue filler injections. Without the need of general anaesthesia and operating theatre, immediate results can be obtained using low-cost fillers. Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers gained popularity in the correction of small nasal defects or concavities. Methods: A total of 12 patients presenting with contour asymmetry following rhinoplasty were treated with HA between January 2010 and May 2011. HA was injected superficial to perichondrium or periosteum. Both patients and surgeons evaluated the results using a definitive graduated satisfaction scale ranging from 1 to 10. Patients were followed up for up to 12 months. Results: No significant side effects were reported. All patients were satisfied with the filling procedure, despite being aware of the temporary nature of the procedure. Conclusions: HA fillings do not persist permanently. Our experience showed that HA filling has to be repeated every year. We conclude that HA injection is a minimally invasive method suitable for correction of minor defects after rhinoplasty. Level of Evidence: Level V, therapeutic study. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Socioeconomic Perspectives on Household Chestnut Fruit Utilization and Chestnut Blight Prevention Efforts in Turkey

Exotic pathogens, within the center of genetic diversity for the species, compromise European chestnut populations in Turkey. In Turkey today, the species is of tremendous economic, ecological and cultural importance. At this time of severe exotic pathogenic pressure on a highly-valued forest species, we ask, how does awareness of diseases and treatments as well as value for chestnut trees affect the efforts of households to manage pests and diseases of chestnut trees in Turkey? We conducted 96 surveys in 34 villages in 10 provinces across Turkey to investigate awareness of diseases and other challenges to the chestnut population, chestnut harvesting habits, family value for chestnuts and efforts to mitigate pest and disease pressure. We analyze our results using cluster and regression analysis. Our results show that based on analysis of all observed characteristics, our research sites in Turkey break cleanly into groups based on production level. Further, results demonstrate significant correlation between amount of chestnut-derived income and awareness of pests and diseases as well as the likelihood of households enacting disease mitigation measures. These results also demonstrate correlation between observed awareness of diseases and pests and the likelihood of households enacting disease mitigation measures

Evaluation of decay and termite resistance of wood treated with copper in combination with boron and N '-N-(1, 8-naphthalyl) hydroxylamine (NHA-Na)

This study evaluated the relative ability of various combinations of copper sulfate with either boric acid or calcium-precipitating agent, N'-N-(1, 8-naphthalyl) hydroxylamine (NHA-Na), to inhibit fungal degradation and attack by Formosan subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki). Wood specimens were treated with either 1%, 0.5%, or 0.1% concentrations of copper sulfate, boric acid, NHA-Na, copper sulfate + boric acid, or copper sulfate + NHA-Na mixtures. Treated specimens were subjected to laboratory decay-resistance tests by using petri dishes inoculated with the Basidiomycetes fungi Tyromyces palustris and Trametes versicolor for 12 weeks. Treated wood specimens were also subjected to termite-resistance tests under laboratory conditions. Increased efficacy of copper sulfate against the brown-rot fungus T. palustris was observed when either boric acid or NHA-Na was added. The most effective treatments against the fungi tested were NHA-Na only treatments at 1% and 0.5% concentration levels. Boric acid treatments were not able to protect wood against decay after leaching because of excessive leaching of boron. Similar results were obtained in termite-resistance tests in comparison with decay-resistance tests. These results indicate that the efficacy of the treatments in preventing fungal and termite attack is a function of the type of preservative. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved