Balancing the Protection and Participation of Refugee Women through the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda: Notes from Turkey

This article examines whether incorporating the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda of the United Nations Security Council into the international refugee regime may give refugee women greater potential to participate in decision-making processes. In addition to recognizing the need to protect women in conflict settings, the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda also promotes women’s participation in order to achieve sustainable peace. The article focuses on Turkey, which hosts the largest number of refugees globally. The article explores the extent to which the protection and participation of refugee women in Turkey are balanced in the activities of national and international actors, and it advises adopting a national action plan on refugee women in line with the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda. We conducted qualitative research and carried out a field study in Turkey to engage with the article’s main research question. In the field study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with participants from international organizations, international and national non-governmental organizations, and state institutions. We argue that refugee women’s participation is frequently reduced to a formality and is constrained by the restrictions imposed by governmental and humanitarian agencies. A national action plan that considers the rights, ambitions, and expectations of refugee women in Turkey would not only strengthen their protection from violence but also encourage their agency. Under a legally binding framework, all stakeholders—refugee women, international organizations, donors, nongovernmental organizations, and the state—would be obliged to encourage refugee women’s participation in decision-making processes and mechanisms at varying levels and fields. We argue that a national action plan would challenge the traditional and patriarchal stereotypes regarding refugee women and enable all relevant stakeholders to promote refugee women’s agency in a systematic way

Contemporary challenges in direct selling

This study uses a large-scale data set from major direct selling companies to analyze the influence of multilevel image on consumer attitudes and behaviors in the direct selling sales channel. Multilevel image refers to the image of a) the direct selling sales channel, b) the image of the participating companies and c) the image of their independent sales representatives. Our results suggest that multilevel image in direct selling is critically significant, as it can influence consumer attitudes and behaviors on all stages of the customer journey map – starting with the likelihood of contact with a channel and company, through product attitude, to purchase intentions. Furthermore, our analyses reveal that the salesperson has an unparalleled significance for customers in direct selling, meaning that there is a tendency that salesperson image matters more regarding customer attitudes and behaviors than channel or company image. The effect of multilevel image on customers is moderated by the prototypicality of the salesperson with reference to the company. Our analyses illustrate that salesperson prototypicality regarding the direct selling company has more favorable effects than salesperson prototypicality with the channel. This study provides important implications for theory and crucial insights for direct selling associations and companies. Key managerial implications are that the classic business model of direct selling – not including advertising and only focusing on salespeople as their main customers – may need some adaptations. Also, our results provide evidence that it would be beneficial for managers to improve the image, in particular of salespeople by advertising, training and the introduction of formal and informal management procedures. Furthermore, word of mouth communication of customers which is the key driver of lead generation in the channel, has to be properly influenced and elicited by independent sales representatives of the company

Quality by design (QbD) and process analytical technology (PAT) applications in pharmaceutical industry

Quality by Design (QbD) for the pharmaceutical industry includes the design, development and production control of products and production processes from the beginning to the end of the product development phase for ensuring the consistent quality of a pharmaceutical product. The QbD is a systematic scientific approach aimed at meeting the needs of the patient in the desired and targeted quality and aiming to produce the same quality pharmaceutical product in this direction. Process Analytical Technology, which is assessed in that regard, is part of a design quality approach that is used to design, analyze, and control real-time measurements of quality and performance criteria for raw and processed materials to achieve the desired final product. This scientific and systematic approach to pharmaceutical product development, which is also acknowledged and supported by the health authorities, serves to the changing and developing pharmaceutical sector

Cytotoxic and antioxidant effects of grape seed oil on the treatment of leukemia with methotrexate

Methotrexate (MTX), a widely used cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent, is often limited by its severe toxicity. Regarding the mechanisms of its adverse effects, several hypotheses have been put forward, among which oxidative stress is highly noticeable. Additive effect of oxidative damage caused by MTX to oxidative stress induced by cancer makes the situation dramatically bad. In order to reduce the damage, several approaches have been suggested. Grape seed is one of the most significant prophylactic agents due to its antioxidant and bioflavonoids composition. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of grape seed oil against MTX-induced oxidative stress in K-562 human chronic myeloid leukemia cell lines. Cells were divided into groups as following control, GSOH (tumor cells treated with 200 mg/mL of grape seed oil), GSOL (tumor cells treated with 100 mg/mL of grape seed oil), MTX (tumor cells treated with 50 nM methotrexate) and MTX + GSOH ( tumor cells treated with 200 mg/mL of grape seed oil and methotrexate). For antioxidant statue; superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), paraoxonase (PON) and aryl esterase (ARE) activities, for lipid peroxidation; malondialdehyde (MDA) level and also for cytotoxicity; cell viability were detected in 24th and 48th hours of the cell culture incubation. Based on the data, 200 mg/mL of grape seed oil indicates synergic effects with MTX on K562 regarding cytotoxicity especially in 48th hour. In case of GSOH + MTX combined treatment for 24 hours, antioxidant system take part preventing lipid peroxidation and a possible oxidative damage. Upon 48 hour-GSOH treatment, antioxidant parameters show significant increase and hence, prevent lipid peroxidation in cancer cells. In conclusion, GSOH complimentary treatment may be suggested for leukemia therapy with MTX to reduce side effects and enhance the cytotoxicity of MTX

Psychiatric co-morbidity and attachment styles in obese adults: A comparative study with healthy volunteers

INTRODUCTION: Psychiatric co-morbidity and attachment issues are prevalent in obese patients. A possible relationship between insecure attachment styles and eating disorder risk has been proposed. The aim of this study is to determine the psychiatric co-morbidity, attachment styles and related risk factors in obese patients. METHODS: Obese patients with body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher and non-obese controls matched for age, sex and education were included with a total sample of 173 participants. Diagnostic assessment using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders and the Adult Attachment Scale, Hamilton Depression, and Hamilton Anxiety scales were carried out. Attachment styles were classified as anxious/ambivalent, avoidant and secure. The anxious/ambivalant and avoidant groups were combined and compared with the secure group. RESULTS: Fifty three (40.8%) obese patients had psychiatric disorders including major depression (n=44; 33.8%). Anxiety was found to be a risk factor with obesity and BMI in both patients with or without any psychiatric co-morbidity. Psychiatric co-morbidity was significantly higher in obese patients (40.8%) than controls (18.6%). 55.4% of the participants had insecure attachment styles, it was significantly higher in obese patients. Insecure attachment styles were higher with psychiatric co-morbidity. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Psychiatric co-morbidity and insecure attachment styles were prevalent in obese patients, and the symptom of anxiety was found to be a predictor of obesity and body mass index. Psychiatric examinations including attachment styles and anxiety will help to advance better treatment strategies for obese patients

Analytical Validation of a Spiral Microfluidic Chip with Hydrofoil-Shaped Pillars for the Enrichment of Circulating Tumor Cells

The isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from peripheral blood with high efficiency remains a challenge hindering the utilization of CTC enrichment methods in clinical practice. Here, we propose a microfluidic channel design for the size-based hydrodynamic enrichment of CTCs from blood in an epitope-independent and high-throughput manner. The microfluidic channel comprises a spiral-shaped part followed by a widening part, incorporating successive streamlined pillars, that improves the enrichment efficiency. The design was tested against two benchmark designs, a spiral microfluidic channel and a spiral microfluidic channel followed by a widening channel without the hydrofoils, by processing 5 mL of healthy blood samples spiked with 100 MCF-7 cells. The results proved that the design with hydrofoil-shaped pillars perform significantly better in terms of recovery (recovery rate of 67.9% compared to 23.6% in spiral and 56.7% in spiral with widening section), at a cost of slightly lower white blood cell (WBC) depletion (depletion rate of 94.2% compared to 98.6% in spiral and 94.2% in spiral with widening section), at 1500 µL/min flow rate. For analytical validation, the design was further tested with A549, SKOV-3, and BT-474 cell lines, yielding recovery rates of 62.3 ± 8.4%, 71.0 ± 6.5%, and 82.9 ± 9.9%, respectively. The results are consistent with the size and deformability variation in the respective cell lines, where the increasing size and decreasing deformability affect the recovery rate in a positive manner. The analysis before and after the microfluidic chip process showed that the process does not affect cell viability

Retrospektivna analiza graničnih tumora jajnika: ishodi u jednom centru

We wanted to discuss our experiences in the approach to borderline ovarian tumors, which constitute a group different from epithelial ovarian tumors with respect to their biological structure in line with retrospective information gathered from our cases. A total of 25 patients operated on for the indication of adnexal masses diagnosed as borderline ovarian tumors based on frozen section results were included in our study. Patient age, tumor diameter, tumor markers and surgeries performed were discussed in the light of the literature. Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS software. The patient mean age was 43.84±11.34 years. The mass was localized in the right (n=13), left (n=11) or both (n=1) adnexal regions. The mean tumor diameter was 12.9±5.84 cm. Histopathologic examination established the diagnosis of serous borderline (n=14 patients) and mucinous borderline (n=11) ovarian tumors. Although the results of our study are consistent with current literature data, a greater number of current studies should be performed on borderline ovarian tumors, which are defined as a class of tumors different from epithelial ovarian tumors.Želja nam je opisati naša iskustva u pristupu graničnim tumorima jajnika kao skupini tumora koji se razlikuju od epitelnih tumora jajnika prema biološkoj strukturi, sukladno retrospektivnim podacima prikupljenim iz naših slučajeva. U istraživanje je bilo uključeno 25 bolesnica operiranih pod indikacijom adneksnih tvorevina dijagnosticiranih kao granični tumori jajnika na osnovi rezultata dobivenih iz zamrznutih uzoraka. Prikazani su sljedeći podaci bolesnica: dob, promjer tumora, tumorski biljezi i izvedeni operativni zahvati, u odnosu na literaturne podatke. Statistička analiza je provedena primjenom programa SPSS. Srednja dob bolesnica bila je 43,84±11,34 godine. Tumorska masa bila je smještena u desnoj (n=13) ili lijevoj (n=11) adneksnoj regiji, a kod jedne bolesnice u objema adneksnim regijama. Srednji promjer tumora bio je 12,9±5,84 cm. Histopatološkom analizom postavljena je dijagnoza seroznog graničnog (n=14) i mucinoznog graničnog (n=11) tumora jajnika. Iako su rezultati ovoga istraživanja sukladni literaturnim podacima, potrebno je provesti veći broj studija graničnih tumora jajnika, koji se definiraju kao vrsta tumora različita od epitelnih tumora jajnika

Riskli gebelerin doğum korkusu, emzirme özyeterlilik ve emzirme başarılarının belirlenmesi

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, yüksek riskli gebelerin doğum korkusu, emzirme özyeterlilik ve emzirme başarısı arasındaki ilişkinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Kesitsel ve tanımlayıcı tipte yapılan çalışma Ankara’da bir eğitim araştırma hastanesinde Ocak-Kasım 2017 tarihleri arasında perinatoloji servisine doğum amaçlı yatan gebelere uygulanmıştır. 326 gebe ile çalışma tamamlanmıştır. Çalışmaya katılan tüm gebelerden yazılı ve sözlü onam alındıktan sonra, anket form (sosyo demografik, obstetrik, geçmiş emzirme deneyimi ve doğum eylemi süreciyle ilgili özellikler) yüzyüze doldurulmuştur. Doğum Korkusu Ölçeği (DKÖ), servikal dilatasyon 3cm (DKÖ-1), 6 cm (DKÖ-2) ve 9 cm iken (DKÖ-3), Emzirme Öz-Yeterlilik Ölçeği (EÖYÖ) ve Latch Emzirmeyi Değerlendirme ve Tanılama Ölçeği (LATCH) kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Çalışmaya katılan tüm gebelerde DKÖ puan ortalaması 37,92±6,87 olarak bulunmuştur. Herhangi bir işte çalışmayan, geliri giderinden düşük olan, kronik bir rahatsızlığı olan gebelerde DKÖ puan ortalaması daha yüksek bulunmuştur (p<0,05). Çalışmada DKÖ-1 puan ortalaması 43,40±8,28, DKÖ-2 puan ortalaması 37,49±7,89, DKÖ-3 puan ortalaması 32,87±8,69 olarak tesbit edilmiştir. Ölçümler arasında farkın istatistiksel olarak anlamlı olduğu bulunmuştur (p<0,001). Çalışmada DKÖ puan ortalaması ile EÖYÖ puan ortalaması arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir ilişkinin olmadığı (p=0,199, r=-0,071), LATCH puan ortalaması ile pozitif yönlü ilişkisinin olduğu (p<0,001, r=0,229) saptanmıştır. Sonuç: Yüksek düzeyde doğum korkusu yaşayan annelerin emzirme başarılarının daha düşük olduğu tesbit edilmiştir. Bu kapsamda, doğum öncesi dönemde gebelerin doğuma hazırlık eğitimine katılarak; gebelik, doğum, postpartum dönem ve emzirme konularında destek alması önerilmektedir

An investigation of the anti-hypertensive effect of mad honey and Rhododendron luteum sweet extract induced by N- ω -Nitro L-Arginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME) in rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-hypertensive effect of mad honey and Rhododendron luteum sweet extracts containing grayanotoxin (GTX)-III in a rat model of hypertension induced by N-ω-nitro L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). Thirty Sprague Dawley rats were divided into five groups - control (0.9% NaCl, 1 mL for 30 days, oral gavage [o.g.]), hypertensive (40 mg L-NAME /kg, bw for 30 days, intraperitoneal [i.p.]), standard (40 mg L-NAME /kg, bw for  30 days, i.p. + 20 mg Captopril/kg, bw for the last 15 days, o.g.), treatment I (40 mg L-NAME /kg, bw for 30 days, i.p. + mad honey, 12.5 mg GTX-III /kg, bw for the last 15 days, o.g.), and  treatment II ( 40 mg L-NAME /kg, bw for 30 days, i.p.+ R. luteum blossom extract, 155.8 mg GTX-III /kg, bw for the last 15 days, o.g.). In addition to evaluating blood pressure using the tail-cuff method, some biochemical parameters were also measured in serum samples. Moreover, nitric oxide (NO) and glutathione (GSH) concentrations were also analyzed in heart, liver and kidney tissues to measure tissue damage caused by hypertension. The chromatographic analyses revealed GTX-III levels in mad honey and R. luteum of 24.94±0.10 mg/kg and 155.80±0.10 mg/kg, respectively. Both extracts used for animal application had a significant anti-hypertensive effect compared to the control and captopril groups. The systolic and diastolic values of the mad honey and blossom extract groups were 157.97-164.16 and 119.92-120.47, respectively.

N-[2-(4-Bromo­benzo­yl)eth­yl]isopropyl­aminium chloride

The crystal structure of the title compound, C12H17BrNO+·Cl−, is stabilized by N—H⋯Cl and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network. The inter­actions framework is completed by C—H⋯π contacts between a methyl­ene group and the benzene ring of a symmetry-related mol­ecule