Life at the margins : gender transgression and sex work in contemporary Turkey

This research deals with a repertoire of collective practices in a community of transfeminine sex workers in urban Turkey. Some of the practices discussed in this thesis refer to building a community, communal spaces, social codes, and relationships which enable trans sex workers to support and protect one another. Other practices can be read as commitments and expressions that challenge violence and marginalization. The research has been carried out within the context of the broader debate on urban marginality. While some studies on this topic have focused solely on its constraining effects, others have overemphasized the enabling potential of margins, romanticizing the solidarity and political agency that emerges in these spaces. Building on a middle position between these two perspectives, my research primarily focuses on the possibilities created at the urban margins, together with specific structural factors. Based on participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and online sources, I begin by explaining the socio-political, legal, economic, and spatial context of trans sex workers in contemporary Turkey. I argue that the ambiguous nature of marginality with respect to these aspects facilitates their alignments and informal ways of organizing. I then investigate the shared spaces, relationships, collective subjectivities, social codes, and labor organization of a specific community of trans sex workers. These structures form the basis of their exchanges of support and community mobilization, and help the community to address its common challenges. I go on to analyze how this population generates a range of struggles, namely, collective protests and individual confrontations, to counter violence and marginalization. Finally, I explore the defying and community-building roles of the shared humor, joy, and laughter that permeate everyday social interactions among sex workers. This thesis makes three original contributions. It shows that urban marginality, albeit less focused, is a critical component in the lives of trans feminine sex workers in Turkey. Secondly, it proposes that gender and sexuality, which are largely overlooked in urban studies, are relevant and significant analytical categories for both urban subordination and politics. Finally, the thesis suggests that urban margins which facilitate alignments and informal means of organizing among people, also constitute the spaces where tensions and ruptures can emerge, and expressions of solidarity and struggle can become fragile. Thus, my research offers a nuanced understanding of urban agency by explaining the material, relational, and discursive opportunities it creates and the complexities and ambivalence that can occur at the margins. Despite their limitations, the collective practices described here support the material and social persistence of sex workers. This is done by establishing communities and friendships, mutual care, claiming visibility, earning a living, and creating joy in the face of the persistent violence, discrimination, and stigma that encircle their lives

Comparison of helical and TomoDirect techniques with simultaneous integrated boost in early breast cancer patients

Background: The aim of the study was to perform dosimetric comparisons of helical (H) and TomoDirect (TD) plans for whole-breast irradiation (WBI) with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) in early-stage breast cancer patients undergoing breast conserving surgery. Materials and methods: Fifty patients, 25 with left-side and 25 with right-side tumors, were determined for a treatment planning system for a total dose of 50.4Gy in 1.8Gy per fraction to WBI, with a SIB of 2.3Gy per fraction delivered to the tumor bed. The planning target volume (PTV) doses and the conformity (CI) and homogeneity indices (HI) for PTVbreast and PTVboost, as well as organ-at-risk (OAR) doses and treatment times, were compared between the H and TD plans. Results: All plans met the PTV coverage criteria for the H plan, except for mean V107 of PTVbreast for TD plan. The H plan yielded better homogeneity and conformity of dose distribution compared to the TD plan. The ipsilateral mean lung doses were not significantly different between the two plans. The TD plans is advantageous for mean doses to the heart, contralateral breast and lung, spinal cord, and esophagus than the H plans. In both the H and TD plans, the right-sided breast patients had lower heart dose parameters than the left-sided breast patients. The TD plan is superior to the H plan in sparing the contralateral breast and lung by decreasing low-dose volumes. Conclusions: While the OAR dose advantages of TD are appealing, shorter treatment times or improved dose homogeneity and conformity for target volume may be advantageous for H plan

A divided sisterhood : support networks of trans sex workers in urban Turkey

First published online: 19 May 2020This article examines how transgender individuals operating in the underground sex economy in urban Turkey form supportive relationships and mobilize against various forms of violence, given structural conditions that encourage distrust and competition and undermine collective efforts among the sex workers. I found that, despite their conditions, workers heavily relied on each other for matters ranging from small-scale interpersonal exchanges of resources to community mobilization. However, the violent and unpredictable circumstances of their lives still generated repeated conflict, making their ties precarious. The article considers the importance of fictive kinship ties in this community, and discusses the coexistence of solidarity and conflict in sex workers' relationships

A Case of Neurocutaneous Melanosis and Neuroimaging Findings

Scopu

Splenosis of the Liver Capsule

WOS: 000450431900007PubMed ID: 30300199Splenosis, a form of ectopic splenic tissue, is generally caused by heterotopic autotransplantation of splenic tissues after traumatic splenic rupture or splenectomy. The implants are often localized intraperitoneally, mostly in the left upper quadrant and splenic region. Hepatic foci are seen only on rare occasions. The differential diagnosis of splenosis foci from malignant masses can be challenging by conventional imaging and lead to unnecessary invasive procedures. This manuscript presents radiological and scintigraphic images of splenosis foci located in the peritoneal cavity and liver capsule of a 46-year-old man who underwent splenectomy due to traumatic splenic rupture 30 years ago

Radiofrequency Ablation for Lung Tumors: Outcomes, Effects on Survival, and Prognostic Factors

PURPOSE We aimed to evaluate the survival benefit achieved with radiofrequency (RF) ablation of primary and metastatic lung tumors and determine significant prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival. METHODS Forty-nine patients with lung cancer (10 primary and 39 metastatic) underwent computed tomography-guided percutaneous RF ablation between June 2005 and October 2013. A total of 112 tumors (101 metastatic and 11 primary non-small cell lung cancer) were treated with RF ablation. Tumor diameter ranged from 0.6 to 4 cm (median 1.5 cm). Effectiveness of treatment, complications, and survival were analyzed. RESULTS Primary success rate was 79.5% and local tumor progression occurred in 23 tumors. Among tumors showing progression, 10 were re-treated with RF ablation and secondary success rate was 87.5%. One-, two-, and three-year overall survival rates of 10 patients with primary lung cancer were 100%, 86%, and 43%, respectively. One-, two-, three-, four-, and five-year overall survival rates for 39 patients with metastatic lung tumors were 90%, 73%, 59%, 55%, and 38%, respectively. One-, two-, three-, and four-year overall survival rates for 16 patients with colorectal pulmonary metastases were 94%, 80%, 68%, and 23%, respectively. Complications occurred in 30 sessions (24.6%). Pneumothorax occurred in 19 sessions with seven requiring image-guided percutaneous chest tube drainage. Tumor status (solitary or multiple) and presence of extrapulmonary metastasis at initial RF ablation were significant prognostic factors in terms of recurrence-free survival. CONCLUSION RF ablation is a safe and effective treatment with a survival benefit for selected patients with primary and secondary lung tumors.Wo

The Added Value of Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis and Posttreatment Evaluation of Skull Base Chordomas

Objectives To determine the use of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the pre- and posttreatment evaluation of skull base chordomas. Design Retrospective study. Setting Tertiary care university hospital. Participants In total, 17 patients with histopathological diagnosis of chordoma who had magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and DWI were evaluated. Of them, 13 patients had posttreatment MR imaging including DWI. Main Outcome Measures Three apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were obtained from tumor, and an ADC value was measured from pons for the purpose of normalization. ADC values of the subtypes of chordomas (typical and chondroid chordomas) were compared. Results Ten (59%) masses had increased signal on trace DWI at pretreatment evaluation. The mean ADC(entire) (tumor)/ADC(pons) was calculated as 1.55 +/- 0.44. The mean ADC(entire) (tumor) values of typical and chondroid chordomas were 1.26 +/- 0.29 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s and 0.99 +/- 0.46 x 10(-3) mm(2)/s, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between ADC values of the subtypes (p > 0.05). For posttreatment evaluation, DWI enabled detection of residual tumor in the majority (85%) of cases. Conclusions DWI is useful in diagnosis and posttreatment evaluation of skull base chordomas. However, ADC values in our series did not distinguish the subtypes of chordomas.Wo