Immediate recovery of the left atrial and left ventricular diastolic function after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: A transesophageal echocardiography study

Background: Chronic increased afterload due to severe aortic stenosis (AS) results in com­pensatory concentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and LV dysfunction. These in turn cause remodeling of the left heart. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effect of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on left atrial (LA) mechanics and LV diastolic function. Methods: The study consisted of a total of 35 consecutive patients (mean age was 77.7 ± 5.0 years, 25 female) undergoing TAVI. All TAVI procedures have been performed under the transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) guidance. Before and 24 h after TAVI, all patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and mitral inflow velocities with pulsed-wave (PW) Doppler including early filling wave (E), late diastolic filling wave (A), and E/A ratio were obtained. LV diastolic function was also explored by pulsed tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). Early (E’) and late (A’) diastolic annular velocities, E’/A’ ratio and E/E’ ratio were obtained. In addition, during the procedure before and minutes after the valve implantation, the left atrial appendage-peak antegrade flow velocity (LAA-PAFV) was measured and recorded with TEE. Results: Compared with baseline, the mean mitral E, septal E’ and E’/A’ ratio increased significantly after TAVI. In addition, the LAA-PAFV increased significantly within minutes of TAVI (32.45 ± 10.7 cm/s vs. 47.6 ± 12.6 cm/s, p < 0.001). Conclusions: TAVI improves LV diastolic function and LA performance immediately

Impact of transcatheter aortic valve implantation in patients with reduced ejection fraction

Background: Aortic stenosis increases with age. According to guidelines, left ventricular systolic dysfunction is an indication for aortic valve replacement, even in asymptomatic patients. There is no clear data on the application of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), which is a method showing continuous improvement in recent years, in patients with reduced ejection fraction (REF) having a poor prognosis for surgical aortic valve replacement. We therefore aimed to investigate the effect of TAVI on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and also its efficacy and safety in patients with REF. Methods and results: The study included 104 patients who underwent transfemoral TAVI in our clinic. The patients were divided into two groups: LVEF ≤ 45% (REF group, n = 28) and LVEF > 45% (preserved ejection fraction [PEF] group, n = 76). Follow-up measure­ments were performed at baseline, discharge, 1st, 6th and 12th months. No statistical difference was found between the groups with respect to complications and mortality rates. A statistically significant difference was detected in LVEF after TAVI, either in all patients (53.9 ± 14.6, 57.0 ± 11.4, 59.4 ± 8.4, 60.4 ± 6.8, 63.2 ± 3.9, respectively, at baseline, discharge, 1st, 6th and 12th months, p < 0.001) or in the groups separately. A statistically significant increase in LVEF (p < 0.001) was determined at discharge, 1st, 6th and 12th months, whereas LVEF increased in all follow-ups of the PEF group, however this elevation reached a statistical significance only at the 1st month (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Our study has shown the positive effect of TAVI on LVEF and its effective and safe applicability in patients with REF.

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), through their complex cargo, can reflect the state of their cell of origin and change the functions and phenotypes of other cells. These features indicate strong biomarker and therapeutic potential and have generated broad interest, as evidenced by the steady year-on-year increase in the numbers of scientific publications about EVs. Important advances have been made in EV metrology and in understanding and applying EV biology. However, hurdles remain to realising the potential of EVs in domains ranging from basic biology to clinical applications due to challenges in EV nomenclature, separation from non-vesicular extracellular particles, characterisation and functional studies. To address the challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving field, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) updates its 'Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles', which was first published in 2014 and then in 2018 as MISEV2014 and MISEV2018, respectively. The goal of the current document, MISEV2023, is to provide researchers with an updated snapshot of available approaches and their advantages and limitations for production, separation and characterisation of EVs from multiple sources, including cell culture, body fluids and solid tissues. In addition to presenting the latest state of the art in basic principles of EV research, this document also covers advanced techniques and approaches that are currently expanding the boundaries of the field. MISEV2023 also includes new sections on EV release and uptake and a brief discussion of in vivo approaches to study EVs. Compiling feedback from ISEV expert task forces and more than 1000 researchers, this document conveys the current state of EV research to facilitate robust scientific discoveries and move the field forward even more rapidly

The instrumentalisation of disaster risks in the process of neoliberal urbanization of the city of Istanbul : an analysis from the districts of Sarıgöl and Tozkoparan.

Ce travail veut apporter des éclairages sur la façon dont la ville d’aujourd’hui est conçue en revisitant à la fois les pratiques urbaines (approche néolibérale et approche par le risque). À travers l’étude comparative de deux quartiers d’Istanbul, Sarıgöl et Tozkoparan, désignés à risques et soumis à des projets de rénovation urbaine, nous avons analysé les objectifs des projets, leur contenu, les bénéficiaires de ces projets et les populations affectés. Sur quels motifs et réalités se basent les politiques publiques urbaines ? Comment les projets sont-ils légitimés par le risque ? Répondent-ils aux problèmes urbains et sociaux présents ? Occasionnent-ils de nouveaux problèmes sociaux ? Les constats établis sur les conséquences des pratiques de rénovation urbaine, nous ont poussé à nous intéresser aux enjeux sociaux émergeant des dynamiques urbaines conflictuelles. Comment les populations sont-elles ou seront-elles affectées par ces rénovations ? La réaction des habitants ?This work aims to shed light on how the city of today is designed by revisiting both urban practices (neoliberal approach and risk approach). Through the comparative study of two districts in Istanbul, Sarıg.l and Tozkoparan, designated at risk and subject to urban renewal projects, we analysed the objectives of the projects, their content, the beneficiaries and affected populations. On what grounds and realities are urban public policies based ? How are projects legitimized by risk ? Do they respond to the urban and social problems ? Do they cause new social problems ? The findings on the consequences of urban renewal practices have led us to focus on social issues emerging from conflictual urban dynamics. How are populations affected or will they be affected by these renovations ? The reaction of the inhabitants

L'instrumentalisation des risques de catastrophe dans le processus d'urbanisation néolibérale de la ville d'Istanbul : une analyse à partir des quartiers de Sarigöl et Tozkoparan

This work aims to shed light on how the city of today is designed by revisiting both urban practices (neoliberal approach and risk approach). Through the comparative study of two districts in Istanbul, Sarıg.l and Tozkoparan, designated at risk and subject to urban renewal projects, we analysed the objectives of the projects, their content, the beneficiaries and affected populations. On what grounds and realities are urban public policies based ? How are projects legitimized by risk ? Do they respond to the urban and social problems ? Do they cause new social problems ? The findings on the consequences of urban renewal practices have led us to focus on social issues emerging from conflictual urban dynamics. How are populations affected or will they be affected by these renovations ? The reaction of the inhabitants ?Ce travail veut apporter des éclairages sur la façon dont la ville d’aujourd’hui est conçue en revisitant à la fois les pratiques urbaines (approche néolibérale et approche par le risque). À travers l’étude comparative de deux quartiers d’Istanbul, Sarıgöl et Tozkoparan, désignés à risques et soumis à des projets de rénovation urbaine, nous avons analysé les objectifs des projets, leur contenu, les bénéficiaires de ces projets et les populations affectés. Sur quels motifs et réalités se basent les politiques publiques urbaines ? Comment les projets sont-ils légitimés par le risque ? Répondent-ils aux problèmes urbains et sociaux présents ? Occasionnent-ils de nouveaux problèmes sociaux ? Les constats établis sur les conséquences des pratiques de rénovation urbaine, nous ont poussé à nous intéresser aux enjeux sociaux émergeant des dynamiques urbaines conflictuelles. Comment les populations sont-elles ou seront-elles affectées par ces rénovations ? La réaction des habitants

Transformation urbaine par la loi « désastre » et réactions habitantes à Tozkoparan et Sarıgöl (Istanbul)

Since the 1980s, the government imposes a new urban order to transform Istanbul into an international, attractive and competitive city. The disaster law, which becomes the main tool of the urban transformation, through the motif of prevention of disaster risks, accelerates and intensifies interventions on the entire territory of Istanbul. These changes cause the growth of local mobilizations and protest movements in the neighborhoods and the city. The actors opposed to renovation projects claim a “right to the city”, which is expressed mainly by the desire to participate in the urban redevelopment process. The article analyzes the process of urban transformation and the reactions of citizens using the example of the neighborhoods of Tozkoparan and Sarıgöl. The people of these two districts with different physical and social aspects, devoid of a culture of mobilization, come to develop resistance strategies and collective actions, the most effective are those which instrument the right

The instrumentalisation of disaster risks in the process of neoliberal urbanization of the city of Istanbul : an analysis from the districts of Sarıgöl and Tozkoparan.

Ce travail veut apporter des éclairages sur la façon dont la ville d’aujourd’hui est conçue en revisitant à la fois les pratiques urbaines (approche néolibérale et approche par le risque). À travers l’étude comparative de deux quartiers d’Istanbul, Sarıgöl et Tozkoparan, désignés à risques et soumis à des projets de rénovation urbaine, nous avons analysé les objectifs des projets, leur contenu, les bénéficiaires de ces projets et les populations affectés. Sur quels motifs et réalités se basent les politiques publiques urbaines ? Comment les projets sont-ils légitimés par le risque ? Répondent-ils aux problèmes urbains et sociaux présents ? Occasionnent-ils de nouveaux problèmes sociaux ? Les constats établis sur les conséquences des pratiques de rénovation urbaine, nous ont poussé à nous intéresser aux enjeux sociaux émergeant des dynamiques urbaines conflictuelles. Comment les populations sont-elles ou seront-elles affectées par ces rénovations ? La réaction des habitants ?This work aims to shed light on how the city of today is designed by revisiting both urban practices (neoliberal approach and risk approach). Through the comparative study of two districts in Istanbul, Sarıg.l and Tozkoparan, designated at risk and subject to urban renewal projects, we analysed the objectives of the projects, their content, the beneficiaries and affected populations. On what grounds and realities are urban public policies based ? How are projects legitimized by risk ? Do they respond to the urban and social problems ? Do they cause new social problems ? The findings on the consequences of urban renewal practices have led us to focus on social issues emerging from conflictual urban dynamics. How are populations affected or will they be affected by these renovations ? The reaction of the inhabitants

Prévention des risques par la maîtrise de l’urbanisation

Après l’introduction de la « loi désastre », l’urbanisation d’Istanbul a entamé une nouvelle phase. Cet article cherche à analyser les implications des risques environnementaux dans le processus d’urbanisation d’Istanbul. Il cherche à rendre compte de la manière dont la notion de risque environnemental a été instrumentalisé dans le cadre d’une politique de développement urbain et au profit de quels changements. Cette réflexion s’appuie sur la mise en œuvre de la « loi désastre » dans les différents districts d’Istanbul de Sarigöl et Tozkoparan.After the introduction of the Disaster Law, the urbanization of İstanbul entered a new phase. This article seeks to analyse the implications of environmental risks in İstanbul’s urbanization process. It seeks to answer the question of how the notion of environmental risk has manifested itself in urban development, and what kind of changes it brings about. It also analyses the urban transformation process in different districts of İstanbul using the Disaster Law: Sarıgöl et Tozkoparan

Parents’ Attitudes toward Childhood Vaccines and COVID-19 Vaccines in a Turkish Pediatric Outpatient Population

Vaccination hesitancy (VH) is an important public health issue. The determinants of parental decisions on whether to vaccinate their children are multidimensional and need to be carefully considered in the COVID-19 era. Our study aims to investigate the prevalence of VH among parents, parents’ use of social media, and their attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine upon vaccine refusal. Materials and methods: Our participants were the parents of children admitted to hospitals in three different cities in Turkey between September 2021 and December 2021. The parents were asked to complete sociodemographic data and their attitudes toward COVID-19 diseases, the Parental Attitudes Toward Childhood Vaccines (PACV) scale, and the Attitudes Toward COVID-19 Vaccine (ATV-COVID-19) scale. Participants were categorized as “non-hesitant”, with a score of <50, and “hesitant”, with a score of ≥50. Results: A total of 1087 parents with a mean age of 33.66 (SD 9.1) years old participated in the study. VH was noted in 102 (9.38%) parents. Age, gender, education, and income levels did not significantly differ from one another, according to the PACV; however, parents who delayed vaccinating their children and indicated that social media had an impact on vaccination decisions were more hesitant. Parents who were male and had a family member diagnosed with COVID-19 showed more positive attitudes in the ATV-COVID-19. Parents who were hesitant about childhood vaccinations had lower positive attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine (2.84 ± 0.97) than parents who were not hesitant (3.77 ± 0.9). A total of 761 (70.14%) parents need more information about childhood immunizations. Conclusion: Parents who are hesitant about childhood immunization programs in Turkey have a less positive attitude toward COVID-19 vaccines and are affected by social media. Parents need information about vaccines, and because the controversy surrounding COVID-19 vaccines can diminish parents’ confidence in routine childhood immunizations, understanding the complex causes behind vaccination hesitancy can help public health policy break through barriers and increase immunization rates