Effect of blending conditions on the properties of EPDM/organoclay nanocomposites

17th International Conference on Composite Materials, ICCM-17; Edinburgh; United Kingdom; 27 July 2009 through 31 July 2009The effects of blending conditions on the microstructural and mechanical properties of EPDM / organo modified montmorillonite (OMMT) nanocomposites at various clay loadings were investigated. The effects of the processing conditions were manifested in both the morphology and mechanical properties, which showed significant increase when optimized process conditions are applied.TÜBİTAK-MAG project 106M15

Kounis Syndrome together with Myocardial Bridging Leading to Acute Myocardial Infarction at Young Age

Kounis syndrome, also named as “allergic angina syndrome,” is a diagnosis in which exposure to an allergen causes mostly coronary spasm and rarely plaque rupture, resulting in ischemic myocardial events. Myocardial bridging is defined as an intramural segment of a coronary artery and its systolic compression by overlying fibers. Myocardial bridging generally has a benign prognosis and mostly affects the mid portion of left anterior descending coronary artery. However, some cases with myocardial ischemia, infarction, and sudden death have also been reported. A 17-year-old boy presented to the clinic with acute anterolateral myocardial infarction after having first dose of clindamycin and diagnosed as Kounis syndrome. Further diagnostic workup of the patient showed myocardial bridging at the mid left anterior descending artery. In this report, we present the combination of Kounis syndrome and myocardial bridging leading to myocardial infarction at young age

Mean platelet volume is elevated in patients with patent foramen ovale

INTRODUCTION: Platelets play a major role in thromboembolic events. Increased mean platelet volume (MPV) indicates higher platelet reactivity and also a tendency to thrombosis. Patent foramen ovale (PFO), persistence of the fetal anatomic shunt between right and left atria, is strongly associated with cryptogenic stroke. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between MPV and PFO and if such an association exists, whether higher MPV levels may require antiplatelet therapy before a thromboembolic event happens, together with a literature review. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty patients (15 women, 15 men), free of any cerebrovascular events, were diagnosed with PFO by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), enrolled as the study group. Thirty consecutive patients (16 women and 14 men), who were diagnosed as normal in TEE, were enrolled as the control group. These two groups were compared according to MPV and anatomical features of the right atrium. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between study and control groups in clinical features and also no difference was observed in platelet counts; however, MPV in the PFO group was significantly higher than the control group (8.38 ±0.93 fl and 7.45 ±0.68 fl respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that elevated MPV may be detected in patients with PFO. This might be one of the explanations for the relationship between PFO and cryptogenic stroke; however, larger cohorts are warranted in order to define further mechanisms

Rhinitis in the geriatric population

The current geriatric population in the United States accounts for approximately 12% of the total population and is projected to reach nearly 20% (71.5 million people) by 2030[1]. With this expansion of the number of older adults, physicians will face the common complaint of rhinitis with increasing frequency. Nasal symptoms pose a significant burden on the health of older people and require attention to improve quality of life. Several mechanisms likely underlie the pathogenesis of rhinitis in these patients, including inflammatory conditions and the influence of aging on nasal physiology, with the potential for interaction between the two. Various treatments have been proposed to manage this condition; however, more work is needed to enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology of the various forms of geriatric rhinitis and to develop more effective therapies for this important patient population

EPIdemiology of Surgery-Associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) : Study protocol for a multicentre, observational trial

More than 300 million surgical procedures are performed each year. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after major surgery and is associated with adverse short-term and long-term outcomes. However, there is a large variation in the incidence of reported AKI rates. The establishment of an accurate epidemiology of surgery-associated AKI is important for healthcare policy, quality initiatives, clinical trials, as well as for improving guidelines. The objective of the Epidemiology of Surgery-associated Acute Kidney Injury (EPIS-AKI) trial is to prospectively evaluate the epidemiology of AKI after major surgery using the latest Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) consensus definition of AKI. EPIS-AKI is an international prospective, observational, multicentre cohort study including 10 000 patients undergoing major surgery who are subsequently admitted to the ICU or a similar high dependency unit. The primary endpoint is the incidence of AKI within 72 hours after surgery according to the KDIGO criteria. Secondary endpoints include use of renal replacement therapy (RRT), mortality during ICU and hospital stay, length of ICU and hospital stay and major adverse kidney events (combined endpoint consisting of persistent renal dysfunction, RRT and mortality) at day 90. Further, we will evaluate preoperative and intraoperative risk factors affecting the incidence of postoperative AKI. In an add-on analysis, we will assess urinary biomarkers for early detection of AKI. EPIS-AKI has been approved by the leading Ethics Committee of the Medical Council North Rhine-Westphalia, of the Westphalian Wilhelms-University Münster and the corresponding Ethics Committee at each participating site. Results will be disseminated widely and published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at conferences and used to design further AKI-related trials. Trial registration number NCT04165369

Retailer layout design: A novel hybrid approach with association rules mining and MCRAFT

Spatial layout of a retail store is a crucial decision variable related to both utilisation of store area and purchasing behaviour of the customer. In this respect, the task of optimising the allocation of shelves to specific product segments has become a strategic decision to facilitate a more comfortable shopping environment for customers, which, in turn, increases sales volume. This study proposes a novel hybrid approach to facility layout design problem, which combines association rules mining (ARM) and a facility layout method, MCRAFT. The proposed methodology is composed of two main stages: 1) rule mining; 2) layout design. More specifically, the presented approach exploits the association rules obtained from purchasing records and uses them as a proximity measure input to MCRAFT algorithm to determine the layout of the store. The merit of the proposed methodology is shown with a case study on a prominent Turkish supermarket chain.2-s2.0-8509392083

The relationship between adiponectin levels and epicardial adipose tissue thickness in non-obese children with asthma

Background: There is an association between adiponectin (APN) and asthma. However, the mechanisms underlying this association is unclear. APN is a predominantly antiinflammatory protein with possible signalling activity in the lung that can be secreted by Epicardial Adipose Tissue (EAT). Our hypothesis is that serum APN levels may be directly and simply related to the amount of EAT accumulation, particularly when it is expressed as thickness in children with asthma. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether serum adiponectin (APN) and epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EATT) have an effect in non-obese children with asthma and in healthy non-asthmatic children, and analyze their relationships with clinical outcomes. Methods: 68 childrens diagnosed with asthma (20 girls/48 boys) who had applied at the pediatric allergy and clinical immunology clinic of the hospital were included in this cross-sectional, observational study. The age-matched control group included 39 healthy children (18 girls/21 boys). EATT was measured by transthoracic echocardiography. The serum APN levels were also checked. Statistical analysis was performed by using independent sample t-test and Spearman correlation analyses. Results: The mean age of the asthma group was 10.2 ± 2.7 years, and the average EATT was found to be 5.7±1.1 mm. The mean age of the control group was 10.5 ± 2.8 years, and the average EATT was found to be 5.1 ± 0.7 mm. The EATT of the asthma group was found to be significantly higher (p < 0.001) in study group. In the asthma group the APN was 10.0 ± 5.3 mg/L, and in the control group the APN was 15.8 ± 10.5 mg/L (p < 0.001). We found that APN was significantly negatively correlated with EATT (r = -0.266, p = 0.006) in asthma and control groups. Conclusion: EATT is associated with non-obese asthmatic childrens. High EATT may be related with high release of pro-inflammatory cytokine and low release of APN. Low levels of APN may be related to low anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, high EATT and low levels of APN may indicate pro-inflammantory profiles in nonobese asthmatic childrens. © 2009 is a Digital Portal of health science journals in Thailand

Öğretmen Adaylarının Ders Planlarının Teknolojik Pedagojik Alan Bilgisi Açısından Analiz Edilmesi

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Fen Bilgisi Öğretmen Adaylarının asit yağmurları ve ozon tabakasının seyrelmesi konusunda hazırlamış oldukları ders planlarının analiz edilerek, TPAB seviyelerinin belirlenmesidir. Bu çalışma, deneysel olmayan nicel araştırma yöntemlerinden tarama modelinde olup betimsel bir niteliktedir (Johnson 2001; Johnson ve Onwuegbuzie, 2004). Çalışmaya, Fırat Üniversitesi, Eğitim Fakültesi ilköğretim Bölümü Fen Bilgi Öğretmenliğinde öğrenim gören 54 öğretmen adayı katılmıştır. Çalışmada veri toplama aracı olarak Ders Planı Hazırlama Yöntemi (DPHY) kullanılmıştır. Bu çalışmada; mevcut tanımlar ve kategoriler; Magnusson, Krajcik ve Borko‘nun (1999) PAB modeli doğrultusunda, TPAB‘ın doğasına uygun bir şekilde yeniden düzenlenmiştir. DPHY ile elde edilen verilerin analizinde literatüre dayalı olarak araştırmacılar tarafından yeniden oluşturulan TPAB seviye tanımları kullanılmıştır. Çalışmadan elde edilen bulgulara göre, asit yağmurları konusunda; TPAB‘ın 4. bileşeninde birçok öğretmen adayının 3. aşama da (Uyarlama) olduğu tespit edilirken, TPAB‘ın 1, 2. ve 3. bileşenlerinde öğretmen adaylarının çoğunun 2. aşama da (Kabul etme) olduğu belirlenmiştir. TPAB‘ın 5. bileşeninde ise öğretmen adaylarının 1.aşama da (Fark etme) yoğunlaştığı tespit edilmiştir. Ozon tabakası konusunda ise TPAB‘ın 1, 2. ve 4. bileşeninde öğretmen adaylarının 2. aşamada (Kabul etme) yoğunlaştığı görülürken, TPAB‘ın 3. ve 5. bileşeninde ise öğretmen adaylarının çoğunlukla 1. aşamada (Fark etme) olduğu belirlenmiştir