An investigation into the role of attachment insecurities in obsessive-compulsive symptoms

The paper discusses the associations between adult attachment and OCD symptoms in light of current cognitive-behavioural theories of OCD. The role of attachment system in OCD has been increasingly recognised. The aim of this paper was to investigate and evidence for direct and indirect relations between attachment insecurities, obsessional beliefs and OCD symptoms. Data were collected from a sample of university students (N = 334) in a cross-sectional research design. Adjusting for age, sex, income, paternal education and maternal education, attachment anxiety and avoidance in combination with obsessional beliefs (responsibility/threat estimation, perfectionism/certainty and importance/control of thoughts) were regressed onto obssessionality using logistic regression analysis. One-way MANOVA comparisons of obsessionality and obsessive beliefs were run across four attachment styles. Finally, the affect regulation model of attachment theory was refined and tested in relation to OCD symptomatology. Attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance significantly contributed to severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. More specifically, respondents with fearful and preoccupied attachment styles reported greater scores on obsessive-compulsive symptomatology and obsessional beliefs. Using a structural modelling approach, we found responsibility/threat estimation significantly contributed to obsessional symptomatology via attachment anxiety and avoidance. © 2016, © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Development of a new instrument for assessing dissociation in the net: the Van Online Dissociative Experiences Schedule (VODES)

Objective: Most of the theoretical models of addictive behaviors of Internet use based on the social cognitive model and suggested that Internet addiction is associated with a deficit in self-monitoring and self-regulation. On the other hand, researches have consistently reported associations between addictive Internet behaviors and a tendency to dissociate in clinical and non-clinical samples. Given the accumulating evidence in the literature, dissociative experiences may be a predisposing factor in the formation and perseverance of maladaptive use of the Internet. Within this context, the present study introduces a new psychometric instrument, the Van Online Dissociative Experiences Schedule (VODES), designed to assess online dissociative experiences. Method: Seven hundred eighteen undergraduates (71.7% were female) volunteered to participate in the study. The mean age of the sample was 20.69 (SD ± 2.14). Participants completed the Van Online Dissociative Experiences Schedule (VODES) and Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS). Results: The result of principal components analysis showed that the four-factor (Identity confusion, Escapism/Detachment, Impairment in reality monitoring/Absorption, and Losing the sense of reality) solution explained 60.34% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the four-factor model excellently fit data, and all items of the VODES loaded strongly (0.53 to 0.86) onto the respective latent factors. Moreover, VODES had excellent internal reliability (?s= 0.93 to 0.98) and test-retest reliability (r= 0.79 to 0.90). In addition, all four dimensions of the VODES were strongly associated with the addictive use of Internet. Conclusions: This study showed that VODES is a promising and sound measure of online dissociation. © 2019, Istanbul Universitesi. All rights reserved

İnternette disosiyasyonun değerlendirilebilmesi İçin geliştirilen yeni bir ölçme aracı: Van çevrimiçi disosiyatif yaşantılar ölçeği

Objective: Most of the theoretical models of addictive behaviors of Internet use based on the social cognitive model and suggested that Internet addiction is associated with a deficit in self-monitoring and self-regulation. On the other hand, researches have consistently reported associations between addictive Internet behaviors and a tendency to dissociate in clinical and non-clinical samples. Given the accumulating evidence in the literature, dissociative experiences may be a predisposing factor in the formation and perseverance of maladaptive use of the Internet. Within this context, the present study introduces a new psychometric instrument, the Van Online Dissociative Experiences Schedule (VODES), designed to assess online dissociative experiences. Method: Seven hundred eighteen undergraduates (71.7% were female) volunteered to participate in the study. The mean age of the sample was 20.69 (SD ± 2.14). Participants completed the Van Online Dissociative Experiences Schedule (VODES) and Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS). Results: The result of principal components analysis showed that the four-factor (Identity confusion, Escapism/Detachment, Impairment in reality monitoring/Absorption, and Losing the sense of reality) solution explained 60.34% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the four-factor model excellently fit data, and all items of the VODES loaded strongly (0.53 to 0.86) onto the respective latent factors. Moreover, VODES had excellent internal reliability (?s= 0.93 to 0.98) and test-retest reliability (r= 0.79 to 0.90). In addition, all four dimensions of the VODES were strongly associated with the addictive use of Internet. Conclusions: This study showed that VODES is a promising and sound measure of online dissociation. © 2019, Istanbul Universitesi. All rights reserved

Wrapping Technique: Mid-Term Results

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess mid-term outcomes of reduction aortoplasty and wrapping technique which is an alternative method to replacement of the aorta in ascending aortic aneurysms. We aimed to show the efficacy of this technique especially when used for patients with increased perioperative mortality or morbidity due to their concomitant pathologies. Materials and Methods: From March 2009 to May 2011, 22 patients underwent reduction aortoplasty and wrapping for ascending aortic aneurysm. The study group consisted of 16 male and six female patients with a mean age of 68 +/- 13.1 years. Linear plication with wrapping was performed as concomitant surgery in 20 patients and as a primary procedure in two patients. The diameter of the aorta was measured using a computed tomography scan 12 months after surgery and was compared with the preoperative value. Results: Mean aortic clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times were 91.0 +/- 58.1 and 150.7 +/- 80.9 minutes, respectively. Mortality was 9.1%. In no case was the postoperative death related to the aortoplasty procedure. The mean postoperative ascending diameter was 29.5 +/- 1.04 mm (vs. preoperative 49.1 +/- 4.1 mm, p < 0.001). Mean follow-up time was 17.2 +/- 8.88 months. During the follow-up period we observed that there were no findings to suggest redilatation. Conclusion: Linear plication with external wrapping is a therapeutic option with promising midterm results, in carefully selected, high surgical risk patients with an ascending aortic aneurysm

Comparison of different aspect ratio cooling channel designs for a liquid propellant rocket engine

High combustion temperatures and long operation durations require the use of cooling techniques in liquid propellant rocket engines. For high-pressure and high-thrust rocket engines with long operation times, regenerative cooling is the most preferred cooling method. In regenerative cooling, a coolant flows through passages formed either by constructing the chamber liner from tubes or by milling channels in a solid liner. Traditionally, approximately square cross sectional channels have been used. However, recent studies have shown that by increasing the coolant channel height-to-width aspect ratio, the rocket combustion chamber hot-gas-side wall temperature can be reduced significantly. In this study, the regenerative cooling of a liquid propellant rocket engine has been numerically simulated. The engine has been modeled to operate on a LOX/GH(2) mixture at a chamber pressure of 68 atm and LH2 (liquid-hydrogen) is considered as the coolant. A numerical investigation was performed to determine the effect of different aspect ratio cooling channels and different coolant mass flow rates on hot-gas-side wall temperature and coolant pressure drop. The variables considered in the cooling channel design were the number of cooling channels and the cooling channel cross-sectional geometry along the length of the combustion chamber

Kruppel-Like Transcription Factor-4 Gene Expression and DNA Methylation Status in Type 2 Diabetes and Diabetic Nephropathy Patients

Background/Aim: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most serious microvascular complications in diabetic patients. The kruppel-like transcription factor-4 (KLF-4) affects the expression of genes involved in the pathogenesis of DN. The present study aims to identify the KLF-4 expression and DNA methylation (DNAMe) status in patients with type-2 diabetes (T2D) and DN and to reveal the contribution of the KLF-4 to the development of DN. Material and Methods: The cohort study was performed with blood samples from 120 individuals; T2D group (n = 40), DN group (n = 40) and control group (n = 40). The expression level of the KLF-4 gene was analyzed using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and the methylation profile detected using the methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR) technique. Results: According to our findings, KLF-4 mRNA expression in the T2D group was 1.60 fold lower than in the control group (p = 0.001). In the DN group, the expression of KLF-4 mRNA was 2.92-fold less than that of the T2D group (p = 0.001). There was no significant alteration in the DNAMe status among the groups. Conclusion: Our findings showed that regardless of the DNAMe status, KLF-4 gene expression may play a role in the development of T2D and DN. This suggests that the KLF-4 gene may be the target gene in understanding the mechanism of nephropathy, which is the most important complication of diabetes, and planning nephropathy-related treatments, but the data should be supported with more studies. © 2019 IMSSFirat University Scientific Research Projects Management UnitThis study was supported by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Istanbul Bilim University . Project no:  2015017