Astronomical Site Selection for Turkey Using GIS Techniques

A site selection of potential observatory locations in Turkey have been carried out by using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) coupled with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and satellite imagery which in turn reduced cost and time and increased the accuracy of the final outcome. The layers of cloud cover, digital elevation model, artificial lights, precipitable water vapor, aerosol optical thickness and wind speed were studied in the GIS system. In conclusion of MCDA, the most suitable regions were found to be located in a strip crossing from southwest to northeast including also a diverted region in southeast of Turkey. These regions are thus our prime candidate locations for future on-site testing. In addition to this major outcome, this study has also been applied to locations of major observatories sites. Since no goal is set for \textit{the best}, the results of this study is limited with a list of positions. Therefore, the list has to be further confirmed with on-site tests. A national funding has been awarded to produce a prototype of an on-site test unit (to measure both astronomical and meteorological parameters) which might be used in this list of locations.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, accepted by Experimental Astronom

An Unusual Complication of Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA): the Needle Breakage

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is now becoming a widely accepted procedure to investigate the mediastinum for the staging of non-small-cell lung cancer and diagnosing mediastinal lesions. During the intervention, some minor or major complications may occasionally occur. The present case report describes the first reported case of needle breakage during EBUS-TBNA

Corneal Viscoelastic Differences Between Pseudoexfoliative Glaucoma and Primary Open-angle Glaucoma

Purpose:The aims of this study were to assess the biomechanical properties of corneas with pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEXG) and to compare them with those of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).Methods:This prospective, comparative case series consisted of 73 eyes of 73 patients, 35 eyes with PEXG (PEXG group) and 38 eyes with POAG (POAG group). Corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), corneal-compensated intraocular pressure (IOPCC), and Goldmann-correlated intraocular pressure (IOPG) were determined by using ocular response analyzer (ORA). IOP using Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT) and ultrasonic central corneal thickness (CCT) were also measured for each eye. Exclusion criteria included refractive error/astigmatism of >3.00 D, history of intraocular surgery, corneal disease, angle-closure glaucoma, and secondary glaucoma other than PEXG. In cases where both eyes were eligible, the right eye was preferred for analysis. The main outcome measures were CH, CRF, IOPCC, IOPG, and GAT. The results were statistically analyzed by using t test, general linear model, and the Pearson correlation test.Results:The mean CH was found to be significantly lower in patients with PEXG (8.81.4 mm Hg) than those with primary open-angle glaucoma (9.9 +/- 1.2 mm Hg; P=0.0007). The mean CRF was found to be significantly lower in patients with PEXG (9.5 +/- 1.8 mm Hg) than those with POAG (11.1 +/- 1.3 mm Hg; P<0.0001). IOPCC was not significantly different between the groups (PEXG, 16.7 +/- 2.5 mm Hg; POAG, 16.9 +/- 2.4 mm Hg; P=0.72). IOPG was significantly lower in PEXG group (14.7 +/- 2.7 mm Hg) compared with the POAG group (16.5 +/- 2.5 mm Hg; P=0.004). GAT was significantly lower in the PEXG group (14.6 +/- 2.7 mm Hg) compared with the POAG group (16.4 +/- 2.8 mm Hg; P=0.007). There was no significant difference between the groups regarding mean CCT (PEXG, 546.1 +/- 34.9 ; POAG, 549.1 +/- 25 ; P=0.66) and mean age (PEXG, 70.3 +/- 8.2; POAG, 67.6 +/- 8.8; P=0.17). The difference between the IOPCC and the GAT was 2.1 and 0.5 mm Hg in both PEXG and POAG groups, respectively.Conclusions:Patients with PEXG had lower CH and CRF values than those with POAG. These findings require further investigation to assess the role of differing corneal biomechanical properties between the 2 groups and its association with poor prognosis among patients with PEXG

Soil type mediates effects of land use on soil carbon and nitrogen in the Konya Basin, Turkey

Objective: The goal of this study was to test for the effects of land use and soil type on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total soil nitrogen (N) stocks in an arid region with a long history of cultivation and animal husbandry. Arid to semi-arid landscapes cover a large proportion of the Earth's surface and are sensitive to agricultural intensification and projected changes in climate, yet data on landscape controls on SOC and N remain scarce. Methods: We used a state factor approach to study the effects of soil type and land use on surface SOC and total soil N (0-25cm) across 35 sites in a 200km2 area in the Konya Basin, an important agricultural region of Turkey. Using Landsat-based land cover maps, we identified three representative land uses - annual-crop agriculture, orchards and grazing lands - stratified across Aridisols formed on three different parent materials: alluvial clay-loam, lacustrine clay and terrace sandy loam soils. Results: SOC and N stocks depended strongly on soil type with strong interactions between soil type and land use. On alluvial soils, grazing land SOC and N stocks were 37% and 23% greater, respectively, than those of agricultural sites and 63% and 50% greater than at orchard sites. In contrast, agricultural sites on lacustrine soils contained 41% more SOC and 42% more soil N. There were no land use effects on terrace soils. The vertical distribution in SOC and N within the top 25. cm, representing the plow layer in the agricultural sites, differed by soil type and land use. Conclusions: Soil type best explained landscape-scale variability of SOC and N stocks. Interactions between soil type and land use indicate that the long-term effects of land use on SOC and N were mediated by soil type. Differences in SOC and N stocks across soil types even within the same soil order highlight the importance of identifying pedogenic differences in soil properties, such as texture and mineralogy, which can influence the response of SOC and N to land use. Practice implications: Our study contributes baseline data on SOC and N for a semi-arid region, which can be used to aid development of landscape-scale models of SOC and N dynamics and inform land management. Our data reveal that assessments of regional land use effects on SOC and N in arid to semi-arid environments should account for landscape to regional variability in soils developing on different geomorphic surfaces and parent materials. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.0549407 National Science FoundationWe thank Dr. Suha Berberoglu for his assistance with logistics in the field and Mahmut Yavuz at the City of Eregli Agricultural Engineer's Office for orientation and introductions to the landscape and people of Eregli and the eastern Konya Basin. We thank the many village muftars (headmen) and farmers who generously gave us access to their fields and village lands. We thank Emily Atkinson, Dr. Joe Mason and members of the Marin-Spiotta lab for their assistance with processing samples. Two reviewers provided helpful comments that improved the manuscript. Finally, we thank Dr. Titus De Meester and Dr. Bert Janssen for original copies of their research publications from the Konya Basin and fruitful discussions that informed the analysis and interpretation of our data. This work was funded by the NSF -IGERT program (CHANGE-IGERT, UW-Madison, NSF Award # 0549407 ) and a CHANGE-IGERT Fellowship to Marc Mayes

The Diagnostic Utility of Real-Time EBUS-TBNA for Hilar and Mediastinal Lymph Nodes in Conventional TBNA Negative Patients

Background: There are many causes of mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy, such as neoplasms, granulomatous diseases, infections and reactive hyperplasia. Nowadays, the popularity of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is increasing in the diagnosis of mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy. We aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of EBUS-TBNA in patients with mediastinal and/or hilar lymphadenopathy and previously conventional TBNA-negative or inadequate results

The effects of noise on hearing and oxidative stress in textile workers

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of noise on hearing, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in textile workers. Thirty textile workers exposed to high noise 105 dB (A) in a textile factory, and 30 healthy male volunteers in our hospital as a control group were included in the study. In both groups, following audiometric tests, blood samples were obtained. In these blood samples, Malonydialdehyte (MDA), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT) levels were investigated. Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS version 11.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago 1L) software program. Mean pure tone audiometric thresholds in workers were significantly higher than in control subjects at frequencies 2,000, 4,000 and 6,000 Hz (p<0.05). Hearing losses were more evident at high frequencies (4-6 kHz) than at low frequencies in worker group. (p<0.05). It was observed that textile workers with longer employment duration had poorer hearing threshoulds and the hearing loss had started on those who had worked for 5-8 yr. While MDA levels were significantly higher in workers than controls (p<0.001), CAT activity was significantly lower (p<0.005). Also, SOD activity was lower in workers but difference was not statistically significant. We observed a significant change in hearing threshold of the textile workers compared with that of the control group. Increase in MDA level and decreases in CAT and SOD activities in textile workers, support the opinion that the noise causes the oxidative stress. The fact that noise both causes hearing loss and increases oxidative stress suggests that there may be a relationship between the oxidative stress and hearing loss. But, further studies are needed in order to verify this opinion

Epicardial adipose tissue thickness and plasma homocysteine in patients with metabolic syndrome and normal coronary arteries

Background: Increased epicardial adipose tissue thickness and plasma homocysteine levels are associated with Metabolic Syndrome (MS) and coronary artery disease. The majority of patients with MS have subclinical or manifest coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between MS and plasma homocysteine levels and epicardial adipose tissue thickness in subjects without epicardial coronary artery disease. Methods: Patients who underwent coronary angiography due to angina or equivocal symptoms and/or abnormal stress test results and were found to have normal coronary arteries were evaluated for the presence of MS. The study group comprised 75 patients with normal coronary arteries and MS, and the control group included 75 age-gender matched subjects without coronary artery disease or MS. Results: Epicardial adipose tissue thickness (5.8 +/- 1.9 mm vs. 4.3 +/- 1.6 mm, p <0.001) and plasma homocysteine levels (21.6 +/- 6.1 mu mol/L vs. 15.1 +/- 5.8 mu mol/L, p <0.001) were significantly higher in the MS group. Body mass index, triglyceride level, weight, age and waist circumference were positively and HDL cholesterol level were negatively correlated with both epicardial adipose tissue thickness and plasma homocysteine level. Epicardial adipose tissue thickness had the strongest correlation with plasma homocysteine level (r = 0.584, p < 0.001). For each 1 mm increase in epicardial adipose tissue thickness, an increase of 3.51 mu mol/L (95% CI: 2.24-4.79) in plasma homocysteine level was expected. Conclusions: We observed a close relationship between MS and epicardial adipose tissue thickness and plasma homocysteine levels, even in the absence of overt coronary artery disease

Atrial Fibrillation Management in Acute Stroke Patients in Türkiye: Real-life Data from the NöroTek Study

Objective: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common directly preventable cause of ischemic stroke. There is no dependable neurology-based data on the spectrum of stroke caused by AF in Turkiye. Within the scope of NoroTek-Turkiye (TR), hospital-based data on acute stroke patients with AF were collected to contribute to the creation of acute-stroke algorithms.Materials and Methods: On May 10, 2018 (World Stroke Awareness Day), 1,790 patients hospitalized at 87 neurology units in 30 health regions were prospectively evaluated. A total of 929 patients [859 acute ischemic stroke, 70 transient ischemic attack (TIA)] from this study were included in this analysis.Results: The rate of AF in patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke/TIA was 29.8%, of which 65% were known before stroke, 5% were paroxysmal, and 30% were diagnosed after hospital admission. The proportion of patients with AF who received "effective" treatment [international normalization ratio >= 2.0 warfarin or non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) at a guideline dose] was 25.3%, and, either no medication or only antiplatelet was used in 42.5% of the cases. The low dose rate was 50% in 42 patients who had a stroke while taking NOACs. Anticoagulant was prescribed to the patient at discharge at a rate of 94.6%; low molecular weight or unfractionated heparin was prescribed in 28.1%, warfarin in 32.5%, and NOACs in 31%. The dose was in the low category in 22% of the cases discharged with NOACs, and half of the cases, who received NOACs at admission, were discharged with the same drug.Conclusion: NoroTekTR revealed the high but expected frequency of AF in acute stroke in Turkiye, as well as the aspects that could be improved in the management of secondary prophylaxis. AF is found in approximately one-third of hospitalized acute stroke cases in Turkiye. Effective anticoagulant therapy was not used in three-quarters of acute stroke cases with known AF. In AF, heparin, warfarin, and NOACs are planned at a similar frequency (one-third) within the scope of stroke secondary prophylaxis, and the prescribed NOAC dose is subtherapeutic in a quarter of the cases. Non-medical and medical education appears necessary to prevent stroke caused by AF