Time is Precious for a Scientist: Harmonization and Standardization of Manuscript Submission to Journals

Objective: Preparation and submission of a manuscript per the specific instructions of every publisher is time consuming for not only authors but also for reviewers and authors as well. Practical principles for manuscript preparation and submission will be useful both to save time and to reinforce spread of scientific information. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed by collection of relevant data from journal sites, publishers’ instructions for authors, online submission resources and experiences of journal editors, authors, and reviewers. Results: The authors' instructions for manuscript submission differ remarkably per various journals. These variations include formats of cover letter, title page, abstract, references, as well as manuscript font type and size. Conclusion: We suggest that reaching such a consensus on a standard module for preparation and submission of manuscripts for all journals will be useful for both saving time and maintenance of sustainability in publishing

Evaluation of galectin-3, peptidylarginine deiminase-4 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in gingival crevicular fluid for periodontal health, gingivitis and stage III grade C periodontitis: A pilot study

Background Comparing the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of galectin-3, peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in individuals with stage III grade C periodontitis and gingivitis and with healthy periodontium was the purpose of this clinical research

Different application procedures of Nd:YAG laser as an adjunct to scaling and root planning in smokers with stage III grade C periodontitis: a single-blind, randomized controlled trial

Background The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether different Nd:YAG laser applications as an adjunct to scaling and root planning (SRP) improve the healing response to periodontal therapy in smokers with periodontitis. Methods This clinical trial included eighty systemically healthy smokers with periodontitis. Patients were randomly allocated to a treatment group: SRP alone (group 1), SRP+low-level laser therapy (LLLT) with Nd:YAG laser (group 2), SRP+pocket debridement with ND:YAG laser (group 3), and SRP+combined pocket debridement and LLLT with Nd:YAG laser (group 4). Gingival index (GI), plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (%), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL) were recorded, and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples for metalloproteinase-8 (MMP-8) levels were collected at baseline, 1 month and 3 months after treatment. Results There were no significant differences between the treatment groups for the GI, PI, and BOP (%) parameters and MMP-8 levels at any time points (p > 0.05). For moderately deep pockets, PD and CAL reductions were significantly greater in all test groups compared to group 1 (p 0.05) except PD reduction between baseline and 3 months in deep pockets (p < 0.05). Conclusions The findings of this clinical trial suggest that Nd:YAG laser applications may be beneficial on the healing response of smokers to non-surgical therapy compared to SRP alone

Gingival crevicular fluid lipocalin-2 and semaphorin3A in stage III periodontitis: Non-surgical periodontal treatment effects

Background and Objective Identification of biomarkers to assess individual risk and monitor periodontal health status is important. Research on lipocalin-2 (LCN2) and semaphorin3A (Sema3A) is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) LCN2, Sema3A, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels in periodontally healthy (H), gingivitis (G), and periodontitis (P) patients, and their changes following non-surgical periodontal therapy. Methods Sixty systemically healthy and non-smoker participants, diagnosed as periodontally healthy, gingivitis, and stage III grade C periodontitis, were recruited (n = 20/group). Clinical periodontal parameters were recorded and GCF samples were obtained at baseline from all groups; for group P, these were repeated one and three months following non-surgical periodontal treatment. GCF LCN2, Sema3A, and TNF-alpha levels were evaluated with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results GCF LCN2, Sema3A, and TNF-alpha total amounts were significantly higher in disease groups than group H (p .05). LCN2 and TNF-alpha levels were significantly positively correlated with clinical parameters. LCN2 (AUC [area under the curve] = 0.94) and TNF-alpha (AUC = 0.98) levels were similarly accurate in differentiating between periodontal disease (whether G or P) and healthy controls. Conclusions LCN2 and TNF-alpha levels in GCF are correlated with clinical parameters and could prove useful as non-invasive screening tools for periodontitis

Evaluation of Turner Syndrome Knowledge among Physicians and Parents

Objective: Turner syndrome (TS) is one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities and an important cause of short stature and infertility due to ovarian failure in females. The aim was to evaluate the knowledge of TS among physicians and parents of children with TS and to enhance awareness about this subject

Considerations for the selection of tests for SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnostics

During the course of 2020, the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) spread rapidly across the world. Clinical diagnostic testing for SARS-Cov-2 infection has relied on the real-time Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction and is considered the gold standard assay. Commercial vendors and laboratories quickly mobilised to develop diagnostic tests to detect the novel coronavirus, which was fundamentally important in the pandemic response. These SARS-Cov-2 assays were developed in line with the Food Drug Administration-Emergency Use Authorization guidance. Although new tests are continuously being developed, information about SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic molecular test accuracy has been limited and at times controversial. Therefore, the analytical and clinical performance of SARS-CoV-2 test kits should be carefully considered by the appropriate regulatory authorities and evaluated by independent laboratory validation. This would provide improved end-user confidence in selecting the most reliable and accurate diagnostic test. Moreover, it is unclear whether some of these rapidly developed tests have been subjected to rigorous quality control and assurance required under good manufacturing practice. Variable target gene regions selected for currently available tests, potential mutation in target gene regions, non-standardized pre-analytic phase, a lack of manufacturer independent validation data all create difficulties in selecting tests appropriate for different countries and laboratories. Here we provide information on test criteria which are important in the assessment and selection of SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnostic tests and outline the potential issues associated with a proportion of the tests on the market

The relationship between sarcopenia detected in newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients and FGF21, irisin and CRP levels

Key summary pointsAim We aimed to investigate the relationship between irisin and FGF21 in detecting sarcopenia in colorectal cancer patients. Findings Correlation analysis was performed between skeletal muscle mass index and FGF21, irisin and CRP, there was a positive correlation between skeletal muscle mass index and irisin and FGF21, while there was a negative correlation between skeletal muscle mass index and CRP. Message Irisin and FGF-21 and CRP may play a role in the pathophysiology of sarcopenia

The role of inflammation in adjuvant chemotherapy-induced sarcopenia (Izmir Oncology Group (IZOG) study)

Introduction Although the chemotherapy-induced sarcopenia has some explanatory presence in clinical practice, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have not been clearly distinguished in patients with cancer. Therefore, we aimed with this study to investigate the role of inflammation by examining the inflammatory markers in the physiopathology of adjuvant chemotherapy-induced sarcopenia in patients with gastrointestinal tract cancer. Material and method To detect the presence of sarcopenia, patients' body composition measurements were assessed using the BIA, and their muscular strength was assessed with a handgrip dynamometer in both pre- and post-adjuvant chemotherapy. At the same time, we examined the baseline and post-adjuvant chemotherapy anthropometric measurements and inflammatory markers in serum (Hs-CRP, IL8, and TNF-alpha). Patients were divided in three groups. Group 1 consisted of patients who presented post-treatment sarcopenia although they did not have it prior to the treatment, group 2 included the patients who had no pre- or post-treatment sarcopenia, and group 3 was comprised of patients who presented pre-treatment sarcopenia. Each group included 30 patients. Results A total of 90 patients were included in the study. Fifty-one of them were female patients. Median age was 60.5 (range 27-83). The patients consisted of cases with colorectal and gastric cancers. In group 1, Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed a significant difference between scores of IL-8 (pg/mL), TNF-alpha (pg/mL) and Hs-CRP (mg/dL) given for the post-chemotherapy compared with the pre-chemotherapy ((Z 3.61, p < 0.001), (Z 3.254, p = 0.001), (Z 3.319, p = 0.001)). The post-chemotherapy median scores of IL-8 (pg/mL), TNF-alpha (pg/mL), and Hs-CRP were 76.31, 7.34, and 1.55, respectively, which remained on the levels of 12.25, 1.6, and 0.51 for the pre-chemotherapy. For group 2, a Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated no significant difference between scores of the same markers given for the post-chemotherapy compared with the pre-chemotherapy. In all patients (including groups 1, 2, and 3), a comparison of the patients with pre-treatment sarcopenia (n = 30) and non-sarcopenic patients (n = 60) in terms of baseline IL-8, TNF-alpha, and Hs-CRP mean levels, IL-8 and Hs-CRP were found to be statistically different (146.02 (SD 311.96) vs. 47.24 (SD 66.3) (p = 0.009), 3.91 (SD 4.26) vs. 0.75 (SD 1.08) (p < 0.001), respectively). Conclusions The present prospective observational study suggested an association of chemotherapy-induced sarcopenia with inflammatory markers Hs-CRP, IL8, and TNF-alpha. Inflammation may play a role in chemotherapy-induced sarcopenia in newly diagnosed non-metastatic patients