Karpal Tünel Sendromu Dekompresyon Cerrahisi Geçiren Hastaların Geç Dönem Memnuniyet Düzeylerini Değerlendirmede Elektromiyografi ve Hasta Değerlendirme Ölçümünün Geçerliliği

Objective: This study investigated whether electromyelography (EMG) evaluation is helpful in the late phase after surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods: This retrospective study included 35 patients who underwent mini-open decompression therapy between 2008 and 2011 with CTS diagnosis. Patients were assessed electrophysiologically and clinically with Patient Evaluation Measurement (PEM) scoring and handgrip, palmar grip, lateral grip, and fingertip grip strength. Additionally, patients' clinical scores and strength values were compared with electrophysiologic values from preoperative and postoperative 4-year controls. Results: According to the Padua classification, EMG data were classified before and after surgery. One patient had extreme grade, four patients had severe grade, 26 patients had moderate grade, and four had a mild grade before surgery. At the postoperative 4th year EMG follow-up, six patients were classified as minimal and 29 as negative. According to the PEM scale, the mean score before surgery was 58.77±7.89, and in the controls at the 4th year after surgery, the mean score was 13.48±4.01. The strength of the operated hand was significantly weaker than that of the contralateral healthy hand before surgery. However, in the controls at the 4th year after surgery, the strength of the operated hand was significantly increased compared with the preoperative period, and there was no significant difference from the contralateral hand. Conclusion: Electrophysiological assessment (EMG) in the late phase after surgical treatment of CTS has positive parallels with clinical assessment and strength assessment. Therefore, we conclude that EMG helps follow late surgical outcomes. © Copyright 2022 by Medical Journal of Bakırköy published by Galenos Yayınev

Assisting humans in privacy management: an agent-based approach

Image sharing is a service offered by many online social networks. In order to preserve privacy of images, users need to think through and specify a privacy setting for each image that they upload. This is difficult for two main reasons: first, research shows that many times users do not know their own privacy preferences, but only become aware of them over time. Second, even when users know their privacy preferences, editing these privacy settings is cumbersome and requires too much effort, interfering with the quick sharing behavior expected on an online social network. Accordingly, this paper proposes a privacy recommendation model for images using tags and an agent that implements this, namely pelte. Each user agent makes use of the privacy settings that its user have set for previous images to predict automatically the privacy setting for an image that is uploaded to be shared. When in doubt, the agent analyzes the sharing behavior of other users in the user’s network to be able to recommend to its user about what should be considered as private. Contrary to existing approaches that assume all the images are available to a centralized model, pelte is compatible to distributed environments since each agent accesses only the privacy settings of the images that the agent owner has shared or those that have been shared with the user. Our simulations on a real-life dataset shows that pelte can accurately predict privacy settings even when a user has shared a few images with others, the images have only a few tags or the user’s friends have varying privacy preferences

Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPION) Functionalized by Caffeic Acid (CFA)

In this research, we synthesized a novel caffeic acid-functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles (CFA-functionalized SPION) L929 (mouse fibroblast cell), U87 (glioblastoma brain cancer cell), MCF-7 (breast cancer cell), HeLa (cervix cancer cell), and A549 (human lung cancer cell) cell lines. Thermal decomposition and Stober methods were used to prepare APTES-capped SPION, respectively. The carboxylated polyethylene glycol (PEG-COOH), folic acid (FA), and caffeic acid (CFA) were attached to the surface of SPION via carboxylic/amine groups. Structural analysis (Rietveld analysis) confirmed the phase purity of the product. The conjugation of organics to the surface of SPION was followed with FT-IR spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). SEM analysis presented the spherical morphology of product with 13 +/- 3 nm particle size. And also, superparamagnetic property of product was deduced from VSM analysis. Uptake of CFA-functionalized SPION from the cell and release of CFA from CFA-functionalized SPION has been studied by using Prussian blue staining and spectrophotometer, respectively. Also, cell viability and cytotoxicity was tested by MTT and LDH assays. The uptake of CFA-functionalized SPION by HeLa, MCF-7, and U87 was higher than A549 and L929 cells. Also, caffeic acid release from CFA-functionalized SPION increased at an acidic environment (pH 4.4). A newly synthesized CFA-functionalized SPION in all used concentrations decreased cell viability and increased cytotoxicity at 24th and 48th hours. The results showed that the CFA-functionalized SPION is a potential anticancer agent for cancer therapy

CoFe Nanoparticles in Carbon Nanofibers as an Electrode for Ultra-Stable Supercapacitor

In this paper, we proposed the synthesis of CoFe nanoparticles (NPs) which have been deposited on carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with a facile electrospinning route followed by thermal reduction. The performance of obtained CNF supercapacitors are improved from 51 to 190 F/g (247 mF/cm(2)) at 0.5 A/g with the combination of CoFe NPs and graphitized carbon layers The device possessed an energy and power density of 6.6 Wh/kg and 125 W/kg, respectively. Furthermore, the capacitance retention can still maintain about 96.6% after 10,000 cycle test and it is worth noting that the cycling stability is ultrahigh. This research proves that bimetallic nanoparticles embedded in CNFs can elucidate new insights into the development new nanofiber electrode materials for the next generation of symmetric supercapacitors

Assisting humans in privacy management: an agent-based approach

Image sharing is a service offered by many online social networks. In order to preserve privacy of images, users need to think through and specify a privacy setting for each image that they upload. This is difficult for two main reasons: first, research shows that many times users do not know their own privacy preferences, but only become aware of them over time. Second, even when users know their privacy preferences, editing these privacy settings is cumbersome and requires too much effort, interfering with the quick sharing behavior expected on an online social network. Accordingly, this paper proposes a privacy recommendation model for images using tags and an agent that implements this, namely pelte. Each user agent makes use of the privacy settings that its user have set for previous images to predict automatically the privacy setting for an image that is uploaded to be shared. When in doubt, the agent analyzes the sharing behavior of other users in the user’s network to be able to recommend to its user about what should be considered as private. Contrary to existing approaches that assume all the images are available to a centralized model, pelte is compatible to distributed environments since each agent accesses only the privacy settings of the images that the agent owner has shared or those that have been shared with the user. Our simulations on a real-life dataset shows that pelte can accurately predict privacy settings even when a user has shared a few images with others, the images have only a few tags or the user’s friends have varying privacy preferences

Magnetic and microstructural features of Dy3+ substituted NiFe2O4 nanoparticles derived by sol-gel approach

This study explored the microstructural and magnetic features of NiFe2-xDyxO4 (x <= 0.10) NPs (nanoparticles) that were synthesized by sol-gel auto-combustion method. The single phase of spinel ferrite has been verified for all samples without any impurity. The cubic morphology of the products was also showed by SEM. Room temperature (300 K) and 10 K magnetization curves were recorded applying a dc magnetic field up to +/- 50 kOe and it was observed that magnetic features of NiFe2O4 NPs significantly changed by the substitution of Dy3+ ion. Magnetization measurements showed low order of 300 and 10 K magnetic parameters (such as K-eff, coercivity and anisotropy field values), revealing soft ferrimagnetic behaviors of all pristine and doped NiDyxFe2-xO4 (0.00 <= x <= 0.10) NPs at both 300 and 10 K. Pristine NiFe2O4 has maximum magnetic moment and saturation magnetization values among all samples. Dy3+ substitution showed a slight decrement in magnetization values compared with pristine sample. A slight increase in coercivity was noticed with Dy3+ substitution. Squareness ratios (SQRs) have a range between 0.144 and 0.324. These values are smaller than the theoretical limit of 0.50, implying the multi-domain nature for NPs. Blocking temperature (T-B) was calculated as 28 K for NiFe2O4 NPs

Magnetic and microstructural features of Dy3+ substituted NiFe2O4 nanoparticles derived by sol-gel approach

This study explored the microstructural and magnetic features of NiFe2-xDyxO4 (x <= 0.10) NPs (nanoparticles) that were synthesized by sol-gel auto-combustion method. The single phase of spinel ferrite has been verified for all samples without any impurity. The cubic morphology of the products was also showed by SEM. Room temperature (300 K) and 10 K magnetization curves were recorded applying a dc magnetic field up to +/- 50 kOe and it was observed that magnetic features of NiFe2O4 NPs significantly changed by the substitution of Dy3+ ion. Magnetization measurements showed low order of 300 and 10 K magnetic parameters (such as K-eff, coercivity and anisotropy field values), revealing soft ferrimagnetic behaviors of all pristine and doped NiDyxFe2-xO4 (0.00 <= x <= 0.10) NPs at both 300 and 10 K. Pristine NiFe2O4 has maximum magnetic moment and saturation magnetization values among all samples. Dy3+ substitution showed a slight decrement in magnetization values compared with pristine sample. A slight increase in coercivity was noticed with Dy3+ substitution. Squareness ratios (SQRs) have a range between 0.144 and 0.324. These values are smaller than the theoretical limit of 0.50, implying the multi-domain nature for NPs. Blocking temperature (T-B) was calculated as 28 K for NiFe2O4 NPs

New Anthracene Derivatives - Structure Elucidation and Antimicrobial Activity

Three new anthracene derivatives, which include tetrahydroanthraquinone 1 and two tetrahydroanthraquinone heterodimers 2 and 3, were isolated from Stemphylium globuliferum, together with four known metabolites 4-7. Detailed analysis of the spectroscopic data allowed the unambiguous determination of the structures of 1 and 2 and a revision of the structure of alterporriol C and its atropisomer. Furthermore, alterporriol G, previously obtained as part of a mixture, was isolated in its pure form for the first time and its structure was also revised. The absolute configurations of 1, 2 and 3 were assigned by calculation of their CD spectra, which also allowed the configurational assignment of altersolanol A and the determination of the axial chirality of alterporriols D and E. All isolated compounds were analysed for their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. Compounds 1 and 5 inhibited the growth of most pathogenic microorganisms tested, whereas 2, 6 and 7 showed selective inhibition of bacteria but were inactive against fungi. Three new anthracene derivatives and four known metabolites were isolated from the extract of the endophytic Stemphylium globuliferum. The structures were determined by comprehensive NMR spectroscopy and MS, and the absolute configurations by TDDFT and ZINDO methods. All isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities