Entwicklung einer Methode zur Erhebung von Daten aus ERP-Systemen und Modellierung dieser in Ontologien

Entwicklung einer Methode zur Erhebung von Daten aus ERP-Systemen und Modellierung dieser in Ontologie

Rethinking China: Perceptions from Africa. A survey of Nigeria University students

This article studies the sources from which Nigerian university students receive information about China. The awareness of the Nigerian youth about China's initiatives such as 'One Belt One Road' and 'Forum on China-Africa Cooperation' further discloses the perception of the students on the rise of China and its influence on global affairs. In addition, the study reveals how African students perceive China as a trade partner. The results indicate the internet and social media are major sources of awareness. Some students are somewhat aware of the Chinese initiatives, but others have never heard about these initiatives. The students think that China has influence in the World and African affairs and are neutral about the responsible behavior of China as a global power. Students are positive about the Chinese development model and are concerned about the influx of Chinese labor in Nigeria

Mitochondrial DNA deletions in patients with esophagitis, Barrett’s esophagus, esophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma

Background: Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer globally. Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) and esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC) are the two major types of esophageal cancer with poor prognosis. The mechanisms of the progression of normal esophagus to Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and EA are not fully understood. Mitochondria play a central role in generating energy, apoptosis and cell proliferation. Mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been identified in many diseases including cancers. Mutations of mtDNA were investigated as a part of carcinogenesis.Objective: Our objective is to study whether the 5 kb and 7.4 kb mtDNA deletions are important in the progression of normal esophagus to BE and EA.Method: In this study, the frequency of the 5 kb and 7.4 kb deletions in mtDNA were studied in specimens ranging from nor- mal esophageal tissue to BE and EA and also from ESCC. Seventy six paraffin-embedded tissue samples were studied. Four couple primers were used.Results: Seventy-six tissue samples were analyzed total. The negative control and the positive control PCR product were detect- ed in all analyzed samples. The fusion PCR products, which represent the presence of the deletions, were not detected in any of the samples.Conclusion: We can say that, these deletions are not associated with progression of normal esophagus to BE and EA and they do not have an important role in detecting esophagitis, BE, EA, and ESSC.Keywords: Barrett's esophagus, esophageal cancer, mitochondrial DNA, 4977 bp, 7400 bp

Urinary tract infection in pregnant population, which empirical antimicrobial agent should be specified in each of the three trimesters?

Objective: We aimed to investigate the bacterial profile and the adequacy of antimicrobial treatment in pregnant women with urinary tract infection. Material and Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted with 753 pregnant women who needed hospitalization because of UTI in each of the three trimesters. Midstream urine culture and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were evaluated. Results: E.Coli was the most frequently isolated bacterial agent (82.2%), followed by Klebsiella spp. (11.2%). In each of the three trimesters, E.Coli remained the most frequently isolated bacterium (86%, 82.2%, 79.5%, respectively), followed by Klebsiella spp. (9%, 11.6%, 12.2%, respectively). Enterococcus spp. were isolated as a third microbial agent, with 43 patients (5.7%) in the three trimesters. The bacteria were found to be highly sensitive to fosfomycin, with 98-99% sensitivity for E.Coli and 88-89% for Klebsiella spp. and for Enterococcus spp. 93-100% nitrofurantoin sensitivity for each of the three trimesters. Conclusions: We demonstrated that E.Coli and Klebsiella spp. are the most common bacterial agents isolated from urine culture of pregnant women with UTI in each of the three trimesters. We consider fosfomycin to be the most adequate first-line treatment regimen due to high sensitivity to the drug, ease of use and safety for use in pregnancy

Thyroid Tissue Connected to Normally Located Thyroid Gland: Ectopic or Exophytic?

Ectopic thyroid tissue is seen rarely. It is often seen in cervical midline, and rarely in other areas such as submandibular area. Diagnosis is made histopathologically by fine needle biopsy after the elimination of malignancy. In the treatment of ectopic thyroid tissue, surgical excision is mostly applied. According to our knowledge, there is no exophytic thyroid tissue reported in the literature. In this paper, a 32-year-old woman who presented with a swelling under the right jaw and found a thyroid tissue attached to the normally located thyroid gland with a fibrous band in the neck was discussed

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Bladder Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Processes; A Turkish Multicenter Study

Objective: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic effect diagnosis and treatment of certain conditions, including bladder cancer (BC). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on BC diagnosis and treatment.Materials and Methods: Following the approval of the ethics committee for the study, data of 869 patients who underwent surgery for BC in the 2-year period between March 1, 2019 and February 28, 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. The number of surgeries performed for BC, the time elapsed between symptoms and diagnosis, the treatments performed, and the operative pathologies were compared before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.Results: During the COVID-19 period, there was a decrease in the total number of BC surgeries compared to the pre-COVID-19 period (p=0.004). It was observed that this decrease was due to a decrease in patients newly diagnosed with BC (p=0.001) as well as the decrease in the number of primary transurethral resection for bladder tumor procedures performed. There was no difference in the tumor stages of the patients at diagnosis (p=0.9). Intracavitary Bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy use in high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancers (NMIBC) patients also decreased (p=0.008) during the pandemic period. It was observed that the time between symptom and diagnosis was longer in MIBC than in NIMBC during both periods (p<0.001).Conclusion: Diagnosis and treatment of BC have been adversely affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The decrease in the number of new diagnoses may not reflect a true decrease in BC incidence, meaning that BC cases that arose during the pandemic are likely to be diagnosed at a more advanced stage

Mitochondrial DNA deletions in patients with esophagitis, Barrett\u2019s esophagus, esophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma

Background: Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer globally. Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) and esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC) are the two major types of esophageal cancer with poor prognosis. The mechanisms of the progression of normal esophagus to Barrett\u2019s esophagus (BE) and EA are not fully understood. Mitochondria play a central role in generating energy, apoptosis and cell proliferation. Mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been identified in many diseases including cancers. Mutations of mtDNA were investigated as a part of carcinogenesis. Objective: Our objective is to study whether the 5 kb and 7.4 kb mtDNA deletions are important in the progression of normal esophagus to BE and EA. Method: In this study, the frequency of the 5 kb and 7.4 kb deletions in mtDNA were studied in specimens ranging from normal esophageal tissue to BE and EA and also from ESCC. Seventy six paraffin-embedded tissue samples were studied. Four couple primers were used. Results: Seventy-six tissue samples were analyzed total. The negative control and the positive control PCR product were detected in all analyzed samples. The fusion PCR products, which represent the presence of the deletions, were not detected in any of the samples. Conclusion: We can say that, these deletions are not associated with progression of normal esophagus to BE and EA and they do not have an important role in detecting esophagitis, BE, EA, and ESSC. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i1.43 Cite as: Keles M, Sahin I, Kurt A, Bozoglu C, Simsek G, Kabalar E, et al. Mitochondrial DNA deletions in patients with esophagitis, Barrett\u2019s esophagus, esophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Afri Health Sci. 2019;19(1). 1671-1676. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ ahs. v19i1.4

Chemerin as a marker of subclinical cardiac involvement in psoriatic patients

Background: Chemerin has been associated with psoriasis and inflammation, but there are no studies demonstrating an association between chemerin and subclinical cardiac involvement in psoriatic patients. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate whether psoriatic patients with increased epicardial fat tissue, impaired flow-mediated dilatation, and diastolic dysfunction have higher serum chemerin levels than a healthy control group. Methods: The study included 60 psoriatic patients and 32 healthy controls. Echocardiographic parameters, epicardial fat tissue, flow-mediated dilatation, and chemerin levels were recorded for both groups. Results: The serum levels of chemerin in the psoriatic patients were significantly higher than in the control group. The diastolic function parameters, including isovolumic contraction and relaxation time, E’/A’ (early diastolic mitral annular velocity/late diastolic mitral annular velocity), and E/E’ (early diastolic peak velocity of mitral inflow/early diastolic mitral annular velocity) values, differed significantly between the groups. Epicardial fat tissue was significantly higher and flow-mediated dilatation was significantly lower in psoriatic patients than in the controls. Chemerin was significantly positively correlated with age, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, waist circumference, E/E’, and epicardial fat tissue. Serum chemerin was significantly negatively correlated with E’, E’/A’, and flow-mediated dilatation. A multiple linear regression analysis showed that chemerin was independently correlated with E/E’. Conclusions: Psoriatic patients exhibit early subclinical atherosclerosis and diastolic dysfunction. Chemerin can be used as a marker to screen for patients with subclinical cardiac involvement