A web resource for mining HLA associations with adverse drug reactions: HLA-ADR.

Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) are an important family of genes involved in the immune system. Their primary function is to allow the host immune system to be able to distinguish between self and non-self peptides-e.g. derived from invading pathogens. However, these genes have also been implicated in immune-mediated adverse drug reactions (ADRs), presenting a problem to patients, clinicians and pharmaceutical companies. We have previously developed the Allele Frequency Net Database (AFND) that captures the allelic and haplotype frequencies for these HLA genes across many healthy populations from around the world. Here, we report the development and release of the HLA-ADR database that captures data from publications where HLA alleles and haplotypes have been associated with ADRs (e.g. Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis and drug-induced liver injury). HLA-ADR was created by using data obtained through systematic review of the literature and semi-automated literature mining. The database also draws on data already present in AFND allowing users to compare and analyze allele frequencies in both ADR patients and healthy populations. The HLA-ADR database provides clinicians and researchers with a centralized resource from which to investigate immune-mediated ADRs.Database URL: http://www.allelefrequencies.net/hla-adr/

The determination of the status of emergency department use by elderly patients and of the indicators for ambulance use [Yaşlı hastaların acil servis kullanım durumu ve ambulans kullanım belirleyicilerinin saptanması]

Introduction: This study was prepared with the objective of determining the ratio of use of ambulances by the patients 65 years of age and older who applied to emergency department and the indicators for the use of ambulances. Materials and Method: This cross-sectional research study, enrolled patients at least 65 years of age or older, who applied to the emergency department in Izmir Dokuz Eylül University Hospital. Two measurement tools were prepared with the objective of gathering the study data. The first measuring tool was prepared with the objective of evaluating the indicators of ambulance use by the patients, whereas the second measuring tool was for the situations of using emergency department. Results: 555 patients were included in the study. Only 34.2% of these patients reported that they came to the emergency department with an ambulance. It was observed that patients living with their families, and those with medical emergencies, i.e. who did not experience a trauma or an accident, used ambulances less frequently for going to the emergency department (p<0.05). Among patients who came to the emergency department with private vehicles, 59.2% stated that they did not call an ambulance because they thought that it would be quicker to come with their own resources. On the other hand, among patients who came to the hospital with an ambulance, a ratio of 67.4% replied that they called the ambulance because of emergency. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that public awareness about 112 ambulance systems should be increased, especially for elderly patients. © 2018 Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved.Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi: 2197-GOA, 2015/19-43This study was approved by the Dokuz Eylül University, Noninterventional Research Ethics Committee dated 21 August 2015, protocol Number 2197-GOA and decision number 2015/19-43. -

Structural comparison of scissor-hinge linkages

Deployable structures can deploy from a compact to an expanded configuration by changing their sizes. The behaviors of these structures depend on some parameters such as geometric shape, member sizes and kinematic properties. To provide the deployment, not only the arrangements of structural members but also some restrictions must be considered. Moreover, contiguous members of the structures must let the large rotations to provide the transformation between different geometric forms from fully folded to fully deployed configurations. These requirements have an important impact on the fundamental properties of the structures related with structural performance, such as stiffness and strength. In this paper, stiffness of different scissor-hinge linkages are analyzed and compared. These linkages cover the same span with almost the same geometry and have the unit elements with same size and same weight. However, the geometry of unit elements is different from each other. The paper investigates the effect of this difference on the stiffness of whole system