Psychopharmacological Treatment and Quality of Life in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Objective: Obsessive-compulsiv

Mencilis (Bulak) Mağarasında Radon Seviyesi Ölçümleri

Belli bir dozdan yüksek radyasyona maruz kalan canlı organizmalarda, radyasyonun tahribata yol açtığı bilinmektedir. Bu nedenle yaşadığımız yerdeki radyasyon seviyesinin bilinmesi önemlidir. Kaçınılmaz biçimde maruz kaldığımız doğal radyasyonun yarısından fazlası radon ve radonun bozunma ürünlerinden kaynaklanmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, Karabük ili Safranbolu ilçesindeki Türkiye'nin en büyük 4. mağarası olan Mencilis (Bulak) mağarasının turizme açık olan 350 metrelik gezi yolu üzerine pasif nükleer iz dedektörleri yerleştirilerek mağaranın radon konsantrasyonları belirlenmiştir. 2008 yılı Kasım ayı ile Ocak 2009 arasında 70 gün süre ile radona maruz bırakılan dedektörlerin analizi sonucunda, mağaranın turizme açık kısmında radon seviyelerinin 19 Bq/m3 ile 649 Bq/m3 arasında değiştiği ve ortalama radon konsantrasyonunun 205 Bq/m3 olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca mağara görevlileri ve ziyaretçilerin aldıkları eşdeğer doz miktarları hesaplanmıştır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Mencilis Mağarası, Radon, CR-39, Etkin Do

Antimicrobial and Antifungal Properties of Madder Root (Rubia tinctorum) Colorant Used as an Environmentally-Friendly Wood Preservative

The aim of this study was to determine the antifungal and antimicrobial properties of madder root extract when used as an environmentally-friendly wood preservative and against blue stain. Plant dyestuff was extracted from the root of madder by using an ultrasonic assisted method and then applied to Turkish oriental beech, Scots pine, oak, and walnut wood blocks with the immersion (classic) and immersion + ultrasonic assisted methods. For mordants, ferrous sulfate, aluminum sulfate, copper sulfate, and vinegar were used. In order to compare the performances of the natural paints, a synthetic dye was used. The abilities of the extracts to suppress attack by brown rot (Postia placenta) and white rot (Trametes versicolor) were investigated. Treated blocks were exposed to P. placenta and T. versicolor attacks for 16 weeks according to the TS 5563-EN 113 method. Antimicrobial activity of the extracts was determined with the agar dilution method by using the disk diffusion method for bacteria. Results showed that the mordant mixes were considerably more resistant to fungal decay compared to their untreated and synthetic counterparts. In general, control (non-mordant) and vinegar mixtures showed good performance against brown and white rot fungi. Copper mixes showed better antimicrobial activity against all types of microorganisms. In conclusion, it was found that madder root extracts and mordant mixes could be used as wood preservatives

Use of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi for Boosting Antioxidant Enzyme Metabolism and Mitigating Saline Stress in Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Salinity is one of the outstanding abiotic stress conditions that a significant part of the world faces. In recent years, beneficial microorganisms started to be utilized in plants to overcome several abiotic factors, including salinity. The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) mixture on growth and enzymatic responses in basil under salt stress were investigated using saline doses of 0 mM (Control), 150 mM, and 300 mM. Results showed that AMF enhanced all growth parameters, but only the leaf number was statistically significant. However, antioxidant enzymes, such as ascorbate peroxidase (APX) by 25%, catalase (CAT) by 25%, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) by 5%, significantly enhanced. At the same time, the accumulation of oxidative enzymes, like hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA), was reduced, from 12.05 μmol g−1 fw (control) to 11.17 μmol g−1 fw (AMF) and from 14.29 μmol g−1 fw to 10.74 μmol g−1 fw, respectively. AMF also significantly alleviated the chlorophyll loss caused by increasing saline doses. Multivariate analyses revealed the co-occurrence of stress metabolism enzymes as well as the proximate effect of AMF inoculation on basil yield and enzymatic activity. As a result, AMF was considered an appropriate tool for increasing growth and reducing salt stress under both stress-free and saline conditions

S.D.Ü. Bilgi Merkezi'nde Radon Ölçümleri

Alfa yayımlayan tek radyoaktif gaz radondur. Radonun ve bozunma ürünlerinin solunması ciddi sağlık riskleri oluşturabilmektedir. Bu nedenle bina içi radon konsantrasyonlarının belirlenmesi gereklidir. Bu çalışmada, 8000 metrekare kapalı alana sahip olan Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Prof. Dr. Hasan Gürbüz Bilgi Merkezi için pasif nükleer iz detektörleri kullanılarak elde edilen radon düzeylerine ait ölçümler sunulmaktadır. Bu amaçla CR-39 detektörleri, Bilgi Merkezi'ndeki 20 ölçüm noktasına Aralık 2008 ile Şubat 2009 tarihleri arasında 67 gün süreyle yerleştirilmiştir. Bu merkezdeki ortalama radon konsantrasyonunun 188 Bq/m3 olduğu bulunmuştur. Bununla birlikte ölçüm yapılan 3 noktada, ICRP'nin (Uluslar arası Radyasyondan Koruma Komitesi'nin) iş yerleri için kabul ettiği alt limit seviyesi olan 500 Bq/m3 lük değerden yüksek radyasyon değerleri kaydedilmiştir. Sonuç olarak, kütüphane kullanıcılarının, tam ve yarı zamanlı çalışanların sırasıyla 0,49 mSv/yıl, 1,97 mSv/yıl ve 0,98 mSv/yıl değerinde eşdeğer dozlara maruz kalacakları bulunmuş, ayrıca yüksek seviyelerde ölçüm kaydedilen yerlerde alınabilecek önlemler üzerinde durulmuştur. Anahtar Kelimeler: Bina içi Radon Konsantrasyonu, Pasif Nükleer İz Detektörleri, Etkin Do

Aortic intracardiac echocardiography-guided septal puncture during mitral valvuloplasty

Transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and venous intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) are traditionally used to visualize the interatrial septum (IAS) and the tenting effect of the fossa ovalis in patients undergoing percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV). The aim of the present study was to assess the comparative efficacy and safety of arterial (intra-aortic) ICE and venous ICE, compared with TEE (traditional approach), in the patients undergoing PBMV

Is endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration an effective diagnostic procedure in restaging of non-small cell lung cancer patients?

Background and Objectives: Selecting the diagnostic procedure for mediastinal restaging after chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy in Stage IIIA-N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients remains a problem. The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for the evaluation of mediastinal lymph nodes in the restaging of NSCLC patients. Materials and Methods: The present multicentric study retrospectively analyzed the results of Stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC patients who had undergone EBUS for mediastinal restaging after preoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy or both. Results: In 44 patients with 73 N2 nodes, malignant cells were identified in EBUS-TBNA from 23 patients (57.5%) and 25 lymph nodes (34.2%). Twenty-one patients (42.5%) and 48 lymph nodes (65.8%) were negative for nodal metastasis. All of these patients with negative results subsequently underwent mediastinoscopy or surgery (n = 9 and n = 12, respectively). Metastasis was detected in 5 (23.8%) of 21 patients and 6 (12.5%) of 48 lymph nodes. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predicted value and accuracy of EBUS-TBNA based on number of patients were 82.1%, 100%, 100%, 76.2%, and 88.6%, respectively. Conclusions: EBUS-TBNA should be done before invasive procedures in restaging of the mediastinum in patients previously treated with neoadjuvant therapy because of high diagnostic accuracy rate. However, negative results should be confirmed with invasive procedures such as mediastinoscopy and thoracoscopy

A Recurrent Mutation in the ARS (Component B) Gene Encoding SLURP-1 in Turkish Families with Mal de Meleda: Evidence of a Founder Effect

6 páginas, 2 figuras.Mal de Meleda is a rare form of palmoplantar keratoderma, and recently mutations in the ARS (component) B gene have been identified in families with this disease. We identified a recurrent nonsense mutation, R96X, in four families of Turkish descent. In this report, we demonstrate that these families share a common ancestral haplotype at the mal de Meleda locus, suggesting a founder effect.This work was supported in part by the Dermatology Foundation (J.T.C.), the Waterbor Burn and Cancer Foundation (J.T.C.), the Irving Center for Clinical Research at Columbia University (J.T.C.), and USPHS NIH RO1AR44924 (A.M.C.).Peer reviewe