QT dispersion and cardiac involvement in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the commonest cause of chronic inflammatory arthritis in childhood. Cardiac involvement as pericarditis, myocarditis and valvular disease is known to occur in patients with JIA (JIA), as it does in adults with rheumatoid arthritis. There are, however, few descriptions concerning systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricle (LV) in children with JIA. QT dispersion (QTd) is simple noninvasive arrhythmogenic marker that can be used to assess homogeneity of cardiac repolarization and which has not been studied in JIA patients before. A recent study found that rheumatoid arthritis patients had an abnormally longer QTd and corrected QT (cQTd) dispersion, markers for ventricular arrhythmogenicity. This study assessed QTd and cQTd and their relation with systolic and diastolic function of the LV in a group of children with JIA. We performed electrocardiography and Doppler echocardiography on patients and controls. Maximum QT (QTmax), minimum QT (QTmin), QTd, corrected QT, maximum corrected QT (cQTmax), minimum corrected QT (cQTmin) and cQTd intervals were measured from standard 12-lead electrocardiography. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups in QTd and cQTd. Among the diastolic parameters, increased late flow velocity, decreased early flow velocity and prolonged isovolumic relaxation time reflected an abnormal relaxation form of diastolic dysfunction. During 12 months of follow-up, no ventricular arrhythmias were documented in either group

Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Effects of Sulfonamide-Aldehyde Derivative in Allium cepa Root Tip Cells

The continuous production and release into the environment of chemicals has revealed the need to determine their cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. Sulfonamide-aldehyde (SA) derivatives, whose biological activity properties vary in a wide spectrum, are frequently used in agriculture, medicine, pharmacy and many other fields. These compounds have an important cycle in the ecological system due to their use and diversity. In the present study, the potential cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of sulfonamide-aldehyde derivative were investigated using Allium test system with the concentrations of 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 μM. In A. cepa cells, the increasing concentrations of SA caused cytotoxic effects by inducing nuclear lesions and inhibition of mitotic index. In addition, the increasing concentrations of SA caused genotoxic effects by inducing micronucleus and chromosome aberrations, which the most common ones are C-mitosis, sticky metaphase, and anaphase bridge. The results indicate that the concentration of 25 μM is EC50 in micronucleus, nuclear lesions, and chromosome aberrations; and 50 μM is EC50 in mitotic index (p lt; 0.05)

Identifying clinical characteristics of hypoparathyroidism in Turkey: HIPOPARATURK‑NET study

Hypoparathyroidism is an orphan disease with ill-defined epidemiology that is subject to geographic variability. We conducted this study to assess the demographics, etiologic distribution, treatment patterns and complication frequency of patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism in Turkey. This is a retrospective, cross-sectional database study, with collaboration of 30 endocrinology centers located in 20 cities across seven geographical regions of Turkey. A total of 830 adults (mean age 49.6 ± 13.5 years; female 81.2%) with hypoparathyroidism (mean duration 9.7 ± 9.0 years) were included in the final analysis. Hypoparathyroidism was predominantly surgery-induced (n = 686, 82.6%). The insulting surgeries was carried out mostly due to benign causes in postsurgical group (SG) (n = 504, 73.5%) while patients in nonsurgical group (NSG) was most frequently classified as idiopathic (n = 103, 71.5%). The treatment was highly dependent on calcium salts (n = 771, 92.9%), calcitriol (n = 786, 94.7%) and to a lower extent cholecalciferol use (n = 635, 76.5%) while the rate of parathyroid hormone (n = 2, 0.2%) use was low. Serum calcium levels were most frequently kept in the normal range (sCa 8.5–10.5 mg/dL, n = 383, 46.1%) which might be higher than desired for this patient group. NSG had a lower mean plasma PTH concentration (6.42 ± 5.53 vs. 9.09 ± 7.08 ng/l, p < 0.0001), higher daily intake of elementary calcium (2038 ± 1214 vs. 1846 ± 1355 mg/day, p = 0.0193) and calcitriol (0.78 ± 0.39 vs. 0.69 ± 0.38 mcg/day, p = 0.0057), a higher rate of chronic renal disease (9.7% vs. 3.6%, p = 0.0017), epilepsy (6.3% vs. 1.6%, p = 0.0009), intracranial calcifications (11.8% vs. 7.3%, p < 0.0001) and cataracts (22.2% vs. 13.7%, p = 0.0096) compared to SG. In conclusion, postsurgical hypoparathyroidism is the dominant etiology of hypoparathyroidism in Turkey while the nonsurgical patients have a higher disease burden with greater need for medications and increased risk of complications than the postsurgical patients

Mortality Related Risk Factors in High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism in the ICU

Introduction. We sought to identify possible risk factors associated with mortality in patients with high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) after intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Patients and Methods. PE patients, diagnosed with computer tomography pulmonary angiography, were included from two ICUs and were categorized into groups: group 1 high-risk patients and group 2 intermediate/low-risk patients. Results. Fifty-six patients were included. Of them, 41 (73.2%) were group 1 and 15 (26.7%) were group 2. When compared to group 2, need for vasopressor therapy (0 vs 68.3%; p18 (OR 42.47 95% CI 1.50–1201.1), invasive mechanical ventilation (OR 30.10 95% CI 1.96–463.31), and thrombolytic therapy (OR 0.03 95% CI 0.01–0.98) were found as independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion. In high-risk PE, admission APACHE II score and need for invasive mechanical ventilation may predict death in ICU. Thrombolytic therapy seems to be beneficial in these patients

Of the importance of a leaf: the ethnobotany of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans

BACKGROUND: Sarma - cooked leaves rolled around a filling made from rice and/or minced meat, possibly vegetables and seasoning plants - represents one of the most widespread feasting dishes of the Middle Eastern and South-Eastern European cuisines. Although cabbage and grape vine sarma is well-known worldwide, the use of alternative plant leaves remains largely unexplored. The aim of this research was to document all of the botanical taxa whose leaves are used for preparing sarma in the folk cuisines of Turkey and the Balkans. Methods: Field studies were conducted during broader ethnobotanical surveys, as well as during ad-hoc investigations between the years 2011 and 2014 that included diverse rural communities in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Primary ethnobotanical and folkloric literatures in each country were also considered. Results: Eighty-seven botanical taxa, mainly wild, belonging to 50 genera and 27 families, were found to represent the bio-cultural heritage of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans. The greatest plant biodiversity in sarma was found in Turkey and, to less extent, in Bulgaria and Romania. The most commonly used leaves for preparing sarma were those of cabbage (both fresh and lacto-fermented), grape vine, beet, dock, sorrel, horseradish, lime tree, bean, and spinach. In a few cases, the leaves of endemic species (Centaurea haradjianii, Rumex gracilescens, and R. olympicus in Turkey) were recorded. Other uncommon sarma preparations were based on lightly toxic taxa, such as potato leaves in NE Albania, leaves of Arum, Convolvulus, and Smilax species in Turkey, of Phytolacca americana in Macedonia, and of Tussilago farfara in diverse countries. Moreover, the use of leaves of the introduced species Reynoutria japonica in Romania, Colocasia esculenta in Turkey, and Phytolacca americana in Macedonia shows the dynamic nature of folk cuisines. Conclusion: The rich ethnobotanical diversity of sarma confirms the urgent need to record folk culinary plant knowledge. The results presented here can be implemented into initiatives aimed at re-evaluating folk cuisines and niche food markets based on local neglected ingredients, and possibly also to foster trajectories of the avant-garde cuisines inspired by ethnobotanical knowledge

The frequency of Duchenne muscular dystrophy/Becker muscular dystrophy and Pompe disease in children with isolated transaminase elevation: results from the observational VICTORIA study

IntroductionElevated transaminases and/or creatine phosphokinase can indicate underlying muscle disease. Therefore, this study aims to determine the frequency of Duchenne muscular dystrophy/Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD) in male children and Pompe disease (PD) in male and female children with isolated hypertransaminasemia.MethodsThis multi-center, prospective study enrolled patients aged 3–216 months with serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and/or aspartate transaminase (AST) levels &gt;2× the upper limit of normal (ULN) for ≥3 months. Patients with a known history of liver or muscle disease or physical examination findings suggestive of liver disease were excluded. Patients were screened for creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) levels, and molecular genetic tests for DMD/BMD in male patients and enzyme analysis for PD in male and female patients with elevated CPK levels were performed. Genetic analyses confirmed PD. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of the patients were analyzed.ResultsOverall, 589 patients [66.8% male, mean age of 63.4 months (standard deviation: 60.5)] were included. In total, 251 patients (188 male and 63 female) had CPK levels above the ULN. Of the patients assessed, 47% (85/182) of male patients were diagnosed with DMD/BMD and 1% (3/228) of male and female patients were diagnosed with PD. The median ALT, AST, and CPK levels were statistically significantly higher, and the questioned neurological symptoms and previously unnoticed examination findings were more common in DMD/BMD patients than those without DMD/BMD or PD (p &lt; 0.001).DiscussionQuestioning neurological symptoms, conducting a complete physical examination, and testing for CPK levels in patients with isolated hypertransaminasemia will prevent costly and time-consuming investigations for liver diseases and will lead to the diagnosis of occult neuromuscular diseases. Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT04120168

Elektrikli bir araç şasisinin tasarım, analiz ve optimizasyonu.

TEZ11047Tez (Yüksek Lisans) -- Çukurova Üniversitesi, Adana, 2015.Kaynakça (s. 95-97) var.iii, 99 s. : res. (bzs. rnk.), tablo ; 29 cm.Bu çalışmanın amacı elektrikli bir araç için sağlam ve hafif bir şasi tasarlamaktır. Tasarım ölçütleri ve sınırlamaları TÜBİTAK elektromobil yarış kurallarından edinilmiştir. Tasarım için birbirinden farklı şasi tipleri farklı geometrilerde oluşturulmuş ve 18 adet tasarım bilgisayar destekli tasarım yazılımıyla oluşturulmuştur. Tasarımlar sonlu elemanlar analizi yazılımıyla analiz edilmiş ve performans özellikleri parametrik ve yapısal olarak optimize edilmiştir. Elde edilen final tasarımı alüminyum 5042-H19 malzemeli uzay çatı şasi tipine sahiptir ve 28.163 kg ağırlığındadır. Tasarımın maksimum von-Mises gerilmesi 15.465 MPa’dır ve bu değer malzemenin 345 MPa olan akma dayanımının çok altındadır. Şasinin burulma direnci 2.495 mm maksimum burulma deformasyonundan elde edilmiş ve 1828.289 Nm/deg olarak hesaplanmıştır.The purpose of this study is to design rigid and lightweight chassis for an electric vehicle. Design criteria and constraints are obtained from the TÜBİTAK electromobile racing rules. Various chassis types with different geometries are considered and 18 units of chassis are designed using computer aided design (CAD) software. Designs are analysed using finite element analysis (FEA) software and performance characteristics are parametrically and structurally optimized. Final design has aluminium 5042 H-19 space frame structure type and weighs 28.163 kg. Maximum von-Mises stress of the design is 15.465 MPa and the value is far below the material’s yield strength of 345 MPa. Torsional stiffness value of the chassis is generated from the result of 2.495 mm maximum torsional deformation and calculated as 1828.289 Nm/deg

Okul yöneticilerinin kişilik özellikleri ile mesleki doyum düzeyleri arasındaki ilişki

OKUL YÖNETİCİLERİNİN KİŞİLİK ÖZELLİKLERİ İLE MESLEKİ DOYUM DÜZEYLERİ ARASINDAKİ İLİŞKİ Bu araştırmanın amacı, okul yöneticilerinin kişilik özellikleri ile mesleki doyum düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektir. Araştırmanın modeli, genel tarama modellerinden ilişkisel tarama modelidir. Araştırmanın örneklemini 50 devlet okulunda görev yapan müdür ve müdür yardımcıları oluşturmuştur. Araştırmada katılımcıların demografik özellikleri ‘Kişisel Bilgi Formu’ ile, kişilik özellikleri ‘Beş Faktör Kişilik Özellikleri Ölçeği’ ile, mesleki doyum düzeyleri ‘Mesleki Doyum Ölçeği’ ile ölçülmüştür. Uygulama ve verilerin toplanması aşamasından sonra, elde edilen verilerin istatistiksel çözümlemeleri yapılmıştır. Değişkenler arasındaki ilişkiye bakmak için pearson çarpım moment korelasyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Kişilik özellikleri ve mesleki doyum değişkenleri için alınan puanların, katılımcıların sosyodemografik özelliklerine göre karşılaştırılmasında; iki gruptan oluşanlar için bağımsız gruplar t-testi, ikiden fazla oluşan gruplar için tek yönlü varyans analizi (one way-ANOVA) kullanılmıştır. Böylece değişkenler arasında farklılıkların olup olmadığı tespit edilmiştir. Elde edilen istatistik sonuçlarının manidarlığı 0.05 düzeyinde test edilmiştir. Mesleki doyum ve beş faktör kişilik özellikleri ölçeği kullanılarak iki değişken arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi sonucunda, kişilik özellikleri alt boyutlarının tamamıyla mesleki doyum arasında anlamlı bir ilişki çıkmıştır. Olumlu kişilik özelliklerine (dışadönüklük, gelişime açıklık, uyumluluk, öz disiplin) sahip yöneticilerin mesleki doyumu yüksek iken olumsuz kişilik özelliğine (nörotiklik) sahip yöneticilerin mesleki doyumu düşüktür. Elde edilen bulgular doğrultusunda uygulayıcılara ve araştırmacılara daha sonraki çalışmalarda faydalı olabilecek önerilerde bulunulmuştur. Anahtar sözcükler: Meslek, iş, doyum, mesleki doyum, iş doyumu, kişilik, kişilik özellikleri. ABSTRACT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS AND PROFESSIONAL LEVEL OF SATISFACTION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between personality traits and professional satisfaction levels of school administrators. The research model is relational model from the survey method. The sample of the study consisted of 50 principals and assistant principals who work in public schools. Demographic characteristics of the participants in the study 'Personal Information Form', personality traits 'Five Factor Personality Traits Scale', the professional satisfaction levels 'Professional Satisfaction Scale' was measured. After the application and data collection step is performed the statistical analysis of the data obtained. Pearson product moment correlation analysis was used to look at the relationship between variables. Personality traits and professional satisfaction scores obtained for variables, according to the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants in the comparison; t-test for independent groups who consist of two groups, one-way analysis of variance occurs for more than two groups (one-way ANOVA) was used. Thus between variables it is determined whether differences. The significance level for all statistics has been found at 0.05. As a result of the professional satisfaction and to examine the relationship between two variables using five factors personality traits scale, with all of the dimensions of personality traits were significantly correlated professional satisfaction. Positive personality characteristics (extroversion, openness to development, compliance, self-discipline) with managers of professional satisfaction is high, the negative personality traits (neuroticism) professional satisfaction of having managers is low. The findings are in line with the practitioners and further work was suggested to the researchers that may b