Mobile Nine-Hole Peg Test application in healthy older adults: A pilot study

Introduction/Background: Hand functions slow down with aging. Hand functionality evaluation is important in defining the skill level in daily life activities and revealing the effectiveness of rehabilitation and role skills. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hand functionality of healthy older people by using the Mobile Nine-Hole Peg Test (M-NHPT). Methods: Dominant and non-dominant hand functionality of 15 participants were evaluated with M-NHPT. The Standardized Mini-Mental Test was used to determine their cognitive levels and participants’ functionality levels were examined by Duruöz Hand Index. Results: M-NHPT dominant and non-dominant sides were moderately correlated with NHPT (p<0.05) and non-dominant side with the Duruöz Hand Index (p<0.05). Discussions: M-NHPT is a valid and reliable method used to evaluate hand functions and fine motor skills. It was obtained that there was a significant relationship between M-NHPT and functionality. Using mobile applications could be an easy, cheap and accessible assessment method for the hand functionality evaluation in older adults. Conclusions: Future studies involving more elderly adults could clarify the effectiveness and reliability of M-NHPT with programs focused on examining the dexterity and functionality of older adults

Antimicrobial Activity and Analyses of Six Geranium L. Species with Headspace SPME and Hydrodistillation

WOS: 000392643400012A solid phase microextraction (SPME) method with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for analyses of the volatile compounds of six Geranium species; G. asphodeloides, G. psilostemon, G. purpureum, G. pyrenaicum, G. robertianum and G. sanguineum. the results were compared with those obtained by hydrodistillation. According to the results of the study, the major compounds identified in the SPME extracts were sabinen (33.5 %) (G. asphodeloides), caryophyllene (34.1 %, 21.7 %, 11.2 %) (G. psilostemon, G. purpureum and G. robertianum), germacrene D (25.2 %) (G. pyrenaicum), and alloaromadendrene (19.8 %) (G. sanguineum) whereas hydrodistillation (HD) essential oils were rich in benzene acetaldehyde (30 %, 25.7 %) (G. asphodeloides, G. sanguineum), caryophyllene (34.3 %, 11.3 %) (G. psilostemon and G. robertianum), hexadecanoic acid (36.2 %, 15.1 %) (G. purpureum and G. pyrenaicum). the oils were screened for antimicrobial activity against 10 microorganisms and showed antibacterial and antifungal activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

An investigation of tinnitus, noise sensitivity and anxiety levels in liver transplantation patients in the early and late periods: A cross-sectional study

This study aims to evaluate the perception of anxiety, tinnitus, and noise sensitivity in liver transplant patients according to early and late periods following transplantation. The study included 76 patients with liver transplantation. They were divided into two groups according to the duration of time after transplantation: early (1-3 years) and late (5 years or more). A demographic data form, the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Weinstein&apos;s Noise Sensitivity Scale (WNSS), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were administered and used for data collection. There was a statistically significant difference between the early and late-period groups in terms of WNSS and THI scores (p0.05). Noise sensitivity and tinnitus perception of the late-period group were statistically higher than those of the early-period group (p [Med-Science 2023; 12(3.000): 896-901

Clinical Predictors of Response to Tocilizumab: A Retrospective Multicenter Study

OBJECTIVE: A substantial number of patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) demonstrate severe infection. Cytokine storm is an underlying condition that worsens clinical outcomes. As an interleukin-6 receptor antagonist, tocilizumab is a promising treatment option for COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical predictors of mortality for critically ill COVID-19 patients receiving tocilizumab therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The retrospective cohort study was conducted in 4 centers' both wards and intensive care units between March 20 and May 20, 2020. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were consecutively drawn from medical records. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: In this study, 39 patients (28.2% female) were included, and the mortality rate was 25.6% (n = 10). There was statistically significant difference between survivor and non-survivor groups regarding age (53.0 (46.5-65.0) vs. 75.0 (68.25-81.25), respectively, P = .001), CALL score (8.0 (7.0-10.0) vs. 12.0 (9.75-13.0), P = .001), GRAM score (119.5 (99.5-142.0) vs. 155.0 (129.8-226.0), P = .004), and white blood cell count (k/mL) (5.6 (3.8-8.6) vs. 8.0 (7.6-9.3), P = .003). The patients who were on invasive mechanical ventilation at the time of tocilizumab administration had a higher mortality rate (100% vs. 25.9%, P .001). Besides, arterial partial pressure of oxygen/fraction of inspiratory oxygen (PaO2/FiO(2)) ratio on day 7, but not on days 0, 1, and 3 of tocilizumab therapy, was associated with mortality. C-reactive protein (mg/dL) tended to be lower in the survivor group; however, it was not statistically significant (68.4 (32.7-157.5) vs. 113.5 (77.7-219.0), P = .058). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that advanced age, increased leukocyte count, higher CALL and GRAM scores, and the need for invasive mechanical ventilation revealed a worse prognosis after tocilizumab treatment

Clinical Predictors of Response to Tocilizumab: A Retrospective Multicenter Study

OBJECTIVE: A substantial number of patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) demonstrate severe infection. Cytokine storm is an underlying condition that worsens clinical outcomes. As an interleukin-6 receptor antagonist, tocilizumab is a promising treatment option for COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical predictors of mortality for critically ill COVID-19 patients receiving tocilizumab therapy

Synthesis and Structure of Novel Phenothiazine Derivatives, and Compound Prioritization via In Silico Target Search and Screening for Cytotoxic and Cholinesterase Modulatory Activities in Liver Cancer Cells and In Vivo in Zebrafish

Phenothiazines (PTZ) are antipsychotics known to modulate a variety of neurotransmitter activities that include dopaminergic and cholinergic signaling and have been identified as potential anticancer agents in vitro. However, it is important to also test whether a highly cytotoxic, repurposed, or novel PTZ has low toxicity and neuromodulatory activity in vivo using vertebrate model organisms, such as zebrafish. In this study, we synthesized novel phenothiazines and screened them in vitro in liver cancer and in vivo in zebrafish embryos/larvae. The syntheses of several intermediate PTZ 10-yl acyl chlorides were followed by elemental analysis and determination of 1H NMR and 13C NMR mass (ESI+) spectra of a large number of novel PTZ 10-carboxamides. Cytotoxicities of 28 PTZ derivatives (1-28) screened against Hep3B and SkHep1 liver cancer cell lines revealed five intermediate and five novel leads along with trifluoperazine (TFP), prochlorperazine (PCP), and perphenazine, which are relatively more cytotoxic than the basic PTZ core. Overall, the derivatives were more cytotoxic to Hep3B than SkHep1 cells. Moreover, in silico target screening identified cholinesterases as some of the commonest targets of the screened phenothiazines. Interestingly, molecular docking studies with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase proteins showed that the most cytotoxic compounds 1, 3, PCP, and TFP behaved similar to Huprin W in their amino acid interactions with the AChE protein. The highly cytotoxic intermediate PTZ derivative 1 exhibited a relatively lower toxicity profile than those of 2 and 3 during the zebrafish development. It also modulated in vivo the cholinesterase activity in a dose-dependent manner while significantly increasing the total cholinesterase activity and/or ACHE mRNA levels, independent of the liver cancer cell type. Our screen also identified novel phenothiazines, i.e., 8 and 10, with significant cytotoxic and cholinesterase modulatory effects in liver cancer cells; yet both compounds had low levels of toxicity in zebrafish. Moreover, they modulated the cholinesterase activity or expression of ACHE in a cancer cell line-specific manner, and compound 10 significantly inhibited the cholinesterase activity in zebrafish. Accordingly, using a successful combination of in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approaches, we identified several lead anticancer and cholinesterase modulatory PTZ derivatives for future research

The Real-World Experience With Single Agent Ibrutinib in Relapsed/Refractory CLL

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of single-agent ibrutinib in 200 patients presenting with relapsed/refractory CLL in real-world settings. With an estimated median OS of 52 months, 146 patients (75%) achieved at least PR; 16 (8.7%) patients discontinued ibrutinib due to adverse events. The results indicate good safety and efficacy for single-agent ibrutinib in R/R CLL in daily practice

Factors Affecting Inadequate Empirical Antimicrobial Therapy and the Clinical Course of Upper Urinary Tract Infections in Elderly Patients: A Multicenter Study

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to determine the risk factors associated with inadequate empirical antibiotherapy (IEAT) and hospital-related mortality in elderly patients being treated for upper urinary tract infections (UTI)

Quality of life and related factors among chronic hepatitis B-infected patients: a multi-center study, Turkey

Background: The aim of this study was to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients in Turkey and to study related factors

Quality of life and related factors among chronic hepatitis B-infected patients: a multi-center study, Turkey

balkan, ilker inanc/0000-0002-8977-5931; Altindis, Mustafa/0000-0003-0411-9669; Sahin, Ahmet Ziyaettin/0000-0003-1060-6746; atilla, aynur/0000-0001-8027-1991WOS: 000386954300001PubMed: 27809934Background: The aim of this study was to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients in Turkey and to study related factors. Methods: This multicenter study was carried out between January 01 and April 15, 2015 in Turkey in 57 centers. Adults were enrolled and studied in three groups. Group 1: Inactive HBsAg carriers, Group 2: CHB patients receiving antiviral therapy, Group 3: CHB patients who were neither receiving antiviral therapy nor were inactive HBsAg carriers. Study data was collected by face-to-face interviews using a standardized questionnaire, Short Form-36 (SF-36) and Hepatitis B Quality of Life (HBQOL). Values equivalent to p < 0.05 in analyses were accepted as statistically significant. Results: Four thousand two hundred fifty-seven patients with CHB were included in the study. Two thousand five hundred fifty-nine (60.1 %) of the patients were males. Groups 1, 2 and 3, consisted of 1529 (35.9 %), 1721 (40.4 %) and 1007 (23.7 %) patients, respectively. The highest value of HRQOL was found in inactive HBsAg carriers. We found that total HBQOL score increased when antiviral treatment was used. However, HRQOL of CHB patients varied according to their socio-demographic properties. Regarding total HBQOL score, a higher significant level of HRQOL was determined in inactive HBV patients when matched controls with the associated factors were provided. Conclusions: The HRQOL score of CHB patients was higher than expected and it can be worsen when the disease becomes active. Use of an antiviral therapy can contribute to increasing HRQOL of patients