Examination of the Relationship between Urban Air Pollution and Urban Planning Decisions in Cigli Case, Izmir (Turkey)

The air pollution problem remains, although significant improvements have been seen in urban air quality over the last years. Despite the size and variety of studies on urban air pollution, the usage of spatial statistics has been extremely limited. This study aims to show that the spatial statistic techniques can well be used to examine and explain the air pollution levels in urban areas. The data for the sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations are measures using passive diffusion tubes at the 67 monitoring sites in the district of Çiğli (Izmir), which are selected through a spatial systematic sampling process. The tubes were exposed for a 2-week period in August 2015. For the determination of the level of clustering for high values and low values of SO2 and NO2 concentrations, Getis-Ord G* local statistics are calculated. There are five points with high values of SO2 surrounded by low values, three points of NO2, where the results are statistically significant at the 0.10 level. The findings indicate that the presence of the industrial zone, the form of fossil fuels (coal or natural gas) used in heating, and topography are the strong determinants urban air pollution.© 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: Urban air pollution; planning decisions; spatial autocorrelation; air pollutant

The Relationship between Urban Air Pollution and Urban Planning Decisions

The air pollution problem remains, although significant improvements have been seen in urban air quality over the last years. This study aims to show that the spatial statistic techniques can well be used to examine and explain the air pollution levels in urban areas. The data for SO2 and NO2 concentrations are measures using passive diffusion tubes at the 67 monitoring sites in the district of Çiğli (Izmir). The tubes were exposed for a 2-week period in August 2015. For the determination of the level of clustering for high values and low values of pollutants, Getis-Ord G* local statistics are calculated. There are five points with high values of SO2 surrounded by low values, three points of NO2, where the results are statistically significant at the 0.10 level. The presence of the industrial zone, the form of fossil fuels used in heating, and topography are strong determinants urban air pollution.Keywords: Urban air pollution, planning decisions, spatial autocorrelation, air pollutants eISSN 2398-4279 © 2018. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. https://doi.org/10.21834/ajqol.v3i11.134

THE EFFICIENCY OF SUCTION DRAIN USAGE IN ARTHROSCOPIC KNEE SURGERY

Aim:The study was designed to investigate the efficiency of suction drain after arthroscopic knee surgery. It is hypothesized that suction drain decreases postoperative hemarthrosis after arthroscopic knee surgery. Methods: Patients were randomized into two groups. Suction drain was used in Group I and no drain was used in Group II. The groups were compared in terms of rest and activity pain, range of motion, Lysholm and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores, patellar shock, need for postoperative knee puncture, amount of drainage, time of hospitalization, and loss of labor. Arthroscopic interventions like meniscectomy, synovectomy, meniscus repair and microfracture were also compared for the amount of patellar shock, need for postoperative knee puncture and amount of drainage. Results: The difference for activity pain and range of motion between the two groups was statistically nonsignificant. Rest pain improved faster in control group. Lysholm and IKDC scores were improved in both groups but the amount of increase was statistically nonsignificant. The amount of patellar shock was also statistically nonsignificant between the two groups. The amount of patellar shock, need for postoperative knee puncture and amount of drainage were also statistically nonsignifiant for arthroscopic interventions like meniscectomy and synovectomy. Conclusions: Suction drain application was unnecessary in many situations after arthroscopic knee surgery in this study. Although suction drain usage delayed the recovery from postoperative pain in this study, other parameters of pain were not affected from suction drain usage. Routine usage of a suction drain after arthroscopic knee surgery was not recommended

A Large-Scale Database of Images and Captions for Automatic Face Naming

We present a large scale database of images and captions, designed for supporting research on how to use captioned images from the Web for training visual classifiers. It consists of more than 125,000 images of celebrities from different fields downloaded from the Web. Each image is associated to its original text caption, extracted from the html page the image comes from. We coin it FAN-Large, for Face And Names Large scale database. Its size and deliberate high level of noise makes it to our knowledge the largest and most realistic database supporting this type of research. The dataset and its annotations are publicly available and can be obtained from http://www.vision.ee.ethz.ch/~calvin/fanlarge/. We report results on a thorough assessment of FAN-Large using several existing approaches for name-face association, and present and evaluate new contextual features derived from the caption. Our findings provide important cues on the strengths and limitations of existing approaches

Četverogodišnja studija učinkovitosti i sigurnosti entekavira u bolesnika s kroničnim hepatitisom B pozitivnih na HBeAg bez prethodne nukleoz(t)idne terapije

Entecavir is a guanosine analogue with activity against hepatitis B virus. The aim of this 4-year trial was to evaluate entecavir treatment in nucleos(t)ide-naive HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients. Forty-nine patients received entecavir and nine of them withdrew from the trial at the end of week 96. The initial mean value of alanine aminotransferase was 79.4}41.5 IU /L, and at the end of the 4-year study period, 90% of patients had alanine aminotransferase values within the normal range. At week 96, 91.7% of patients had HBV DNA <300 copies; at month 48, 90% of patients had HBV DNA <50 IU /mL. HBeAg loss was recorded in 7.1% of patients at week 96 and in 12.5% at month 48. The rate of HBeAg seroconversion was 4.8% at week 96 and 7.5% at month 48. The rate of HBsAg seroconversion was 2.1% at week 96 and 2.5% at month 48. Entecavir as a potent and safe agent leading to continuous viral suppression proved to be safe and well tolerated therapy.Entekavir je analog gvanozina koji djeluje protiv virusa hepatitisa B. Cilj ove četverogodišnje studije bio je procijeniti liječenje entekavirom kod bolesnika s kroničnim hepatitisom B pozitivnih na HBeAg bez prethodne nukleoz(t)idne terapije. Ukupno je 49 bolesnika primalo entekavir, a devetoro ih se povuklo s terapije na kraju 96. tjedna. Početna srednja vrijednost alanin aminotransferaze bila 79,4}41,5 IU /L, dok je nakon 4 godine vrijednost alanin aminotransferaze bila u normalnim granicama kod 90% bolesnika. U 96. tjednu je <300 kopija HBV DNA zabilježeno u 91,7% bolesnika, a u 48. mjesecu je 48,90% bolesnika imalo <50 IJ/mL HBV DNA. Gubitak HBeAg zabilježen je u 7,1% bolesnika u 96. tjednu te u 12,5% bolesnika u 48. mjesecu. Stopa serokonverzije HBeAg iznosila je 4,8% u 96. tjednu i 7,5% u 48. mjesecu. Stopa serokonverzije HBsAg bila je 2,1% u 96. tjednu i 2,5% u 48. mjesecu. Sigurnost terapije bila je dobra. Bolesnici su dobro podnosili entekavir, snažan i siguran lijek koji dovodi do ustaljenog suzbijanja virusa

Četverogodišnja studija učinkovitosti i sigurnosti entekavira u bolesnika s kroničnim hepatitisom B pozitivnih na HBeAg bez prethodne nukleoz(t)idne terapije

Entecavir is a guanosine analogue with activity against hepatitis B virus. The aim of this 4-year trial was to evaluate entecavir treatment in nucleos(t)ide-naive HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients. Forty-nine patients received entecavir and nine of them withdrew from the trial at the end of week 96. The initial mean value of alanine aminotransferase was 79.4}41.5 IU /L, and at the end of the 4-year study period, 90% of patients had alanine aminotransferase values within the normal range. At week 96, 91.7% of patients had HBV DNA <300 copies; at month 48, 90% of patients had HBV DNA <50 IU /mL. HBeAg loss was recorded in 7.1% of patients at week 96 and in 12.5% at month 48. The rate of HBeAg seroconversion was 4.8% at week 96 and 7.5% at month 48. The rate of HBsAg seroconversion was 2.1% at week 96 and 2.5% at month 48. Entecavir as a potent and safe agent leading to continuous viral suppression proved to be safe and well tolerated therapy.Entekavir je analog gvanozina koji djeluje protiv virusa hepatitisa B. Cilj ove četverogodišnje studije bio je procijeniti liječenje entekavirom kod bolesnika s kroničnim hepatitisom B pozitivnih na HBeAg bez prethodne nukleoz(t)idne terapije. Ukupno je 49 bolesnika primalo entekavir, a devetoro ih se povuklo s terapije na kraju 96. tjedna. Početna srednja vrijednost alanin aminotransferaze bila 79,4}41,5 IU /L, dok je nakon 4 godine vrijednost alanin aminotransferaze bila u normalnim granicama kod 90% bolesnika. U 96. tjednu je <300 kopija HBV DNA zabilježeno u 91,7% bolesnika, a u 48. mjesecu je 48,90% bolesnika imalo <50 IJ/mL HBV DNA. Gubitak HBeAg zabilježen je u 7,1% bolesnika u 96. tjednu te u 12,5% bolesnika u 48. mjesecu. Stopa serokonverzije HBeAg iznosila je 4,8% u 96. tjednu i 7,5% u 48. mjesecu. Stopa serokonverzije HBsAg bila je 2,1% u 96. tjednu i 2,5% u 48. mjesecu. Sigurnost terapije bila je dobra. Bolesnici su dobro podnosili entekavir, snažan i siguran lijek koji dovodi do ustaljenog suzbijanja virusa

Factors associated with substance use among preclinical medical students in Turkey: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: Medical students experience high levels of stress due to their rigorous training, which can negatively affect their mental health. This study aimed to investigate substance use habits of medical students at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa and the association on their mental health and demographic factors. Methods: This cross-sectional survey study was conducted in March-April 2022 among preclinical medical students (years 1-3 of a 6-year program). A confidential, anonymous online survey consisting of four sections on sociodemographic and educational characteristics, nicotine use and dependence [Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND)], alcohol use [Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)], mental health status [12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12)], was distributed to 1131 students via WhatsApp and Telegram text messages. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests compared variables’ distribution in the questionnaire categories. Spearman's correlation assessed associations between scales. Significance was p &lt; 0.05. Results: The study included 190 medical students. A total of 26.3% of the participants were smokers, with 8.4% showing moderate to high levels of nicotine dependence. An estimated 45.8% and 8.4% reported low-risk consumption and risky usage of alcohol, respectively. There were statistically significant associations between substance use and demographic factors such as sex, GPA, and religious belief. The study found a statistically significant correlation between FTND scores and GHQ-12 scores, and, between FTND scores and AUDIT scores. Conclusion: The findings of this study will inform the development of interventions to improve the mental health and academic performance of medical students at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa. Furthermore, it will raise awareness about the importance of addressing substance use among medical students in Turkey

Factors associated with substance use among preclinical medical students in Turkey: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: Medical students experience high levels of stress due to their rigorous training, which can negatively affect their mental health. This study aimed to investigate substance use habits of medical students at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa and the association on their mental health and demographic factors. Methods: This cross-sectional survey study was conducted in March-April 2022 among preclinical medical students (years 1-3 of a 6-year program). A confidential, anonymous online survey consisting of four sections on sociodemographic and educational characteristics, nicotine use and dependence [Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND)], alcohol use [Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)], mental health status [12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12)], was distributed to 1131 students via WhatsApp and Telegram text messages. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests compared variables’ distribution in the questionnaire categories. Spearman's correlation assessed associations between scales. Significance was p < 0.05. Results: The study included 190 medical students. A total of 26.3% of the participants were smokers, with 8.4% showing moderate to high levels of nicotine dependence. An estimated 45.8% and 8.4% reported low-risk consumption and risky usage of alcohol, respectively. There were statistically significant associations between substance use and demographic factors such as sex, GPA, and religious belief. The study found a statistically significant correlation between FTND scores and GHQ-12 scores, and, between FTND scores and AUDIT scores. Conclusion: The findings of this study will inform the development of interventions to improve the mental health and academic performance of medical students at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa. Furthermore, it will raise awareness about the importance of addressing substance use among medical students in Turkey

The contribution of implantable cardioverter defibrillators to systemic inflammation in heart failure patients

Heart failure (HF) is associated with an increased inflammatory burden, which is manifested by the elevation of serum levels of some inflammatory mediators such C-reactive protein (CRP), cytokines. In addition, high levels of inflammatory markers in patients with HF have been associated with poor outcomes. Lethal ventricular arrhythmias such as asystole and ventricular fibrillation-tachycardia are common in patients with HF and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) are effective in preventing these situations. But like every foreign object in the body, ICDs also cause fibrosis and inflammation. This study aimed to show additional contribution of ICDs to systemic inflammation in patients with HF. This is a single centrer retrospective study included 140 HF patients with and without ICD (group 1 and 2) and 53 healty control subjects (group 3). Three groups were compared with regard to Hs-CRP and Neutrophil / Lymphocyte ratio (NL ratio). In order that acute inflammation did not affect the results, the earliest 6th month laboratory measures after ICD implantation were recorded. There are not significant difference between all groups in terms of age and gender, and among group 1 and 2 in terms of disease history, ejection fraction, heart rate and creatinine. When compared to the three groups according to Hs-CRP and NL ratio, there was a significant difference between the groups (both p [Med-Science 2019; 8(2.000): 282-6

A classification and regression tree algorithm for heart disease modeling and prediction

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death, such that nearly one-third of all deaths worldwide are estimated to be caused by heart-related conditions. Advancing applications of classification-based machine learning to medicine facilitates earlier detection. In this study, the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) algorithm, a supervised machine learning method, has been employed to predict heart disease and extract decision rules in clarifying relationships between input and output variables. In addition, the study’s findings rank the features influencing heart disease based on importance. When considering all performance parameters, the 87% accuracy of the prediction validates the model’s reliability. On the other hand, extracted decision rules reported in the study can simplify the use of clinical purposes without needing additional knowledge. Overall, the proposed algorithm can support not only healthcare professionals but patients who are subjected to cost and time constraints in the diagnosis and treatment processes of heart disease